The Lines That Lie Between
by RadientWings
Summary: Caroline Forbes was born and bred to serve the Originals, but when she is placed in Klaus' service will things go as planned? AU. Klaroline.
1. Prologue

**A quick idea for a Klaroline fic, hopefully one that would last a while . This is just a prologue, but hopefully chapter one will be up soon. This is really AU, and set before the series (at least this chapter is) but we will later travel to Mystic Falls :)**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: No I don't own the Vampire Diaries, only my own ideas on how it could go.**

Prologue

I remember the day I first met Klaus. It was the year 1550, and I was just a girl in London, barely old enough to be considered a woman. I wasn't just any normal girl though, I was one of the few who knew of the existence of vampires.

My family had long since been in the service of vampires, or, more specifically, the Originals. We were their lackeys, for lack of a better word; we took care of all their worldly affairs. Bank accounts, estates, anything and everything really.

Serving the Originals was not so bad, Papa always used to say. They gave us more than enough money, and as long as you turned a blind eye, you wouldn't get hurt. _Never draw too much attention to yourself,_ Papa told my older brother Robb and I, _catch the eyes of any one of them and you'll be sure not to live for long. _Papa told us that 'working' for them did not mean we were anywhere near their equals, we were always to shift our eyes, and address them as Lord or Lady.

And lesson number one of Papa's many lectures was to never, ever refuse them.

After all, refusal meant an almost certain death.

We were to begin working for them the day we turned 16, Robb, had begun four years before I. Although we were technically serving the entire Original family, Papa told us that each of us would primarily work for only one of the vampires.

It was almost like we were sold off to be their playthings, come to think of it.

But that's just how the cycle went, for every child carrying the Forbes name, at _least_ ten years of servitude was required, however, for the most part, serving was for life.

And if you refused, well, I already mentioned what happened to those who would disobey.

Of course, for each generation, one child was exempt from serving at all, to keep our bloodline going. In essence to ensure there would be more lackeys at the Originals' disposal.

This would be my younger sister, Laura. She was too fine, too fragile for such hard work, Papa said. Even Mother thought so, though I knew that she was chosen because of her fine dark curls, her small stature, and innocent face; she would attract many suitors. I, on the other hand was tall, and my hair may be blond but it always looked unkept.

My father may have preached all he wanted about our situation, making it seem like a good one, but, in truth, we were just glorified slaves.

Alas, like I said, no one refuses the Originals.

Not even Caroline Forbes.

**I hope you enjoyed it! It's short I know, but, there will be more up soon. **

**Tell me what you think!**

**RW**

**Edited - 17/08/12**


	2. Tears Fall as Night Calls

**Hey everyone! Here is, as promised, chapter one... **

**I'm so happy; I posted the prologue literally two days ago, and I already have fourteen reviews:D I was so ecstatic, that I just had to write the next chapter and I made it longer than I had planned so I hope you enjoy it :D**

**But before we continue, I'd like to thank unknownxxxloverxxx, betseyjill, shay, SClover4520, CKLover, hunterwyatt419, Anna, Jess, beadedheart, maevelin, anon, Camiily, klauslove, and Clara for reviewing, and also all the people who fav'd and put a story alert on this. THANK YOU ALL 3**

**Really made my day.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own TVD...**

Chapter 1

Tears Fall, as Night Calls

_London, England 1550_

"Wake up Caroline, wake up! Come on! Do you not remember? It's your birthday! It's not every day you turn sixteen!" Laura shouted, roughly pulling down her elder's sister's blanket, disturbing her peaceful slumber. Caroline opened her eyes, groaning in annoyance at being woken so abruptly. She sighed, knowing that there was no way to return to her surprisingly pleasant dreams.

"I'm going to tell Mama you are awake, don't take too long Care!" Laura bounced off, dark locks flying. Caroline crawled out of bed, picking her favourite blue dress to wear. She even went so far as to wear the thin silver bracelet she had gotten from her brother many years ago; it was her birthday after all, why would she not want to look presentable? She took her comb, and humming happily added the final touches to her appearance.

Her happiness did not last, however, when she realized that she was officially sixteen years old and just what that meant for her. Today marked her last day of freedom, her life would no longer be her own for at least ten years, most likely even more. Girls her age were looking for husbands, not working for blood-sucking creatures of the night. As much as the others told her differently, she would become caged; a prisoner, and for a free spirit such as herself... well, she just hoped she wouldn't break.

She sighed once again, before plastering on her most convincing smile and leaving the room.

* * *

"Caroline, darling, you look like quite the lady." Came her mother's voice as she entered the small dining room, already smelling the sweet scent of fresh bread.

"Thank you Mother." Caroline replied with a slight smile. Lucile Forbes was a small woman, at least half a head shorter than her eldest daughter, but she still held an air of respect around her. Laura was an almost carbon copy of her mother, both being petite and delicate-looking, but her mother had a certain fierceness to her that Laura had always lacked. She may not have been a Forbes by blood, but she had the Forbes fire.

Caroline was led to the small table which filled with an assortment of fresh breads and pastries; it was a rarity to see so much food on the table. As her mother filled her plate, Laura came running into the kitchen, clutching something.

"Here Care! I made it for you. Happy birthday, sister!" She exclaimed, giving her a small cloth square, practically bouncing in her place.

"Thank you Laura-bear." Caroline unfolded the piece of cloth, and pulled out a carefully constructed bracelet made of red thread and small white metal links. She smiled, it was truly beautiful. The light glinted as she slipped it onto her wrist.

"Do you like it? I made it just for you, sister." Laura asked, looking a little worried.

"Like it? I love it, silly!" She laughed, before planting a kiss on the young girl's cheek. "I will never take it off!" She vowed dramatically, causing little Laura to break out into giggles, and soon Caroline joined her, her sadness leaving her.

"So, darling," Lucile broke in, "what do you plan to do today?" She asked, taking a seat at the table.

"Nothing too special, Mother, why do you ask?"

"Well I was just wondering, since it is your last day before..." The happy atmosphere immediately dissipated when reality forced its way back into the conversation. _Right, _Caroline thought darkly, _the last day before I have to leave and become a slave._ The silence was interrupted by heavy footsteps, however, as her father walked in the room, folding his large stature into one of the small chairs.

"Good morning Papa." Laura and her sister chimed.

"Good morning children, and happy birthday Caroline." Caroline whipped her head up, surprised. Papa almost never remembered her birthday, so why would he... Of course, her thoughts were bitter, she was sixteen, old enough to sell to the wolves.

"Thank you Papa." She ground out.

"Yes, yes... Oh, and Caroline you and I must chat after our meal." It wasn't a question, just another command. Well, she supposes she'll have to get used to it, after all that is what the next ten years will consist of; commands.

"Of course Papa."

"Good, let's eat then, shall we?"

As Laura began to chatter away, Caroline was far away in her thoughts. _Just one more night and I'll leave here and begin my ten years servitude... I wonder who I will be assigned to... I hope I will be in Lord Elijah's service, Robb says he is honourable, if sometimes bloodthirsty, and he doesn't seem too upset working for him. Maybe Lady Rebekah? Working with another woman would be somewhat more appealing than with one of the Lords. What if it is Lord Kol? Or even worse Lord Niklaus? _Caroline shuddered. She had heard many things of Lord Niklaus, none of them good. Both her brother and Papa had warned her to avoid him if it all possible. _Never catch their eyes_, they said, _but especially that of the Lord Niklaus._ Robb had once told her that he is the deadliest of all the Original family, a silent monster.

Caroline never quite understood what he meant until much, much later on.

"Caroline?"

"Hmm, yes Mother?" She asked glancing in her direction.

"Are you quite all right dear? You're looking a little pale." Her mother knew her so well, but Caroline didn't want her concern today. It would only lead to much coddling and reassurance, and today Caroline wanted to keep her worries. It was her last day to herself. It was the last day she would truly have her opinion and thoughts.

So yes, today Caroline would keep her worries.

"I'm fine Mother, you know I'm just naturally pale." She said jokingly, hoping to divert the concern.

"That is certainly true." Lucile replied with a laugh. "My daughter, the ivory-skinned beauty. You might want to be careful, people might mistake for a ghost, dear." With that both Lucile and Laura chuckled, knowing that it irked Caroline that she never seemed to gain any color.

Their laughs only increased as Caroline glared at them, Mister Forbes sitting idly by, oblivious to his family's happiness around him.

* * *

Caroline and her father were in his office room. Caroline had never liked it in here, it was just too dark. There was a heavy wooden desk in the middle of the room, facing the door, with a high-backed chair sitting behind it. Large bookshelves lined the walls, filled with all sorts of volumes in many different tongues, many of which she had spent hours learning. Burgundy curtains covered the two small windows, barely letting in any sunlight.

It was a hardly a happy room, to be sure.

"Father?" Caroline asked as the man in question sat down, "You wished to speak to me?"

"Yes, daughter, I did." Caroline frowned a little, her father never called her anything but her name; he wasn't like Mother who often used pet names with her daughters. She was beginning to feel a little anxious, of all her years, Papa had never acted so... out of character. First telling her they need to chat, and then calling her 'daughter'? It was strange to say the least. "You are prepared for tomorrow, I presume?"

"Yes Papa." She nodded.

"Good. I trust you have learned your lessons well enough?" He inquired.

"Of course Papa, Mother has taught me well." She replied, still wondering where he was going with this.

"Excellent... Well, I have just received a letter, do you recognize the seal?" Her father passed her a parchment envelope; the seal on top was rather unique, a stylized _M_ with five stars surrounding it.

"That is the Mikaelson family seal." Caroline said with sudden epiphany. The letter must be about her... and who would be her lord... or lady. The anxiousness of before only heightened.

"Indeed it is." He took the ominous letter back from his daughter. "As you well know, tomorrow you will be leaving us to begin your duty, and this letter has told us where you will be going and who you will be your master." Caroline fidgeted nervously; she wished her father would just tell her already, this stalling was making her thoughts run wild.

"It seems that..." _Please let it be Lord Elijah, please let it be Lord Elijah... "_you will be working under..." _... or even Lady Rebekah._ "... the Lord Niklaus."

Caroline's heart stopped.

Wait... what? Lord Niklaus? But, how...? How is that possible? In all her days, she never expected to be put with _him_.

"But, Father, how can that be?" She asked, confused. "Both you and Robb were put with Lord Elijah, were you not?"

"Yes, daughter, we were, but your brother was my replacement, I had already passed my ten-year when he came of age, so it was a logical step. Robb, on the other hand, has just finished his fourth year, whilst, your cousin, Mary, has just completed her ten-year with Lord Niklaus..."

"... so it would be a logical step for me to replace her. I understand, Papa." She said, finishing his sentence. Her chest felt strangely tight, her breath coming in short, shallow puffs. She felt the anxiety filling her even more, drowning her.

"Caroline, are you quite alright?" Her father asked, looking rather out of his depth. Caroline forced herself to breath slower, trying to ignore her panic.

"May I be excused Papa?" She asked, sounding surprisingly steady.

"Yes, you may go."

"Thank you." Caroline shakily left the room, the panic already swelling once more.

* * *

It wasn't until hours later that Caroline let herself calm down, accepting what she couldn't change. _I won't be some weak-hearted girl whose life is destroyed just because something happens that she does not wish. I am fierce. I am a Forbes._ She would make the best of it, she had decided, she would not allow herself to break. And, even if it did break her, it was only for ten years, right?

Oh, who knew she would be so naive? It rarely worked out that there would be a replacement right when the ten-year was done. The fact that she would replace Mary, just after she finished hers, was something which rarely occurred. Most other times, Mary would've had to wait a few years until some other member of the family came of age, but it seems Mary was blessed.

Caroline wondered who would replace her. It wouldn't be Laura of course, she was exempt from the ten-year. It would probably be cousin Lila, or Josef. Either way, she would have to wait, since Robb would have more priority of being replaced than she, and her uncle Richard, who was in service of Lady Rebekah, and her cousin John, who was under Lord Kol, had priority before them.

During her hours of worry and contemplation, she wondered why it wasn't Uncle Richard she would replace. He had also completed his ten-year, and much before Mary, so shouldn't he have priority?

She was curious, and a little frightened of the answer.

Caroline's deep thoughts cut off, however, when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," she sighed. It was probably Mother checking in again.

"Well, there is no need to sound so cheerful, little sister." Caroline whipped her head up, stunned. There standing in the doorway was none other than her brother. He smirked slightly upon seeing the shock in the blue eyes they shared.

"Robb!" She exclaimed, jumping off her perch on the bed and throwing herself at him. His arms automatically opened to catch her, already expecting the attack. Still, he was thrown back a bit when she finally reached him. He chuckled as her arms wrapped around him.

"There's the Caroline I know, always eager to worship her big brother." He smirked, but squeezed her a little tighter, before letting go.

"Oh, be quiet, you," She said, punching him lightly in the arm.

"Ouch, that hurt... Really, you wound me, little sister, the first time you see me in four years, and you hit me? Quite a low blow there, darling." He drawled, chuckling again when he saw her glare. "Well, I suppose you're not that little anymore. You've grown so much Care." He said, suddenly serious.

"Well that's what happens to young girls, Robb, they grow up." She said looking him in the eye.

"Yes, they do, don't they?" He sounded almost sad.

"Might I say, I am not the only one who had grown. When you left, you were just a lanky boy! Now look at you!" It's true, when Robb left, he had been tall, and gangly, not quite a boy and not quite a man. Now though, Caroline could easily see that Robb had become a fine man. He had filled it out, and he was a little taller. His once messy brown hair, was combed neatly, a miracle in itself, and he was even sporting some a trimmed beard.

"I wasn't that lanky..." He said, sounding rather disappointed. Caroline simply looked at him, and Robb sighed, knowing she had a point.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked.

"What, not happy to see me?" He asked, feigning hurt.

"Of course I'm happy to see you Robb. I'm just wondering how you're here? You haven't yet completed your ten-year, shouldn't you be off with Lord Elijah somewhere? Last I heard you were in Italy..." She said, wondering.

"Yes, well, it seems our _lovely_ patrons are returning to London. I've been sent ahead to prepare the estate... and, well, to collect you..." He said, sadness creeping into his voice.

"Oh... so you know, huh?" She asked, looking away.

"That you have been assigned to Lord Klaus? Yes... I am sorry, sister, I had wished you would be put with one of the others." He raised one hand, and tilted her chin to face him. "But, if there is anyone who can take on Lord Klaus, it is _you,_ sister. Just don't let them take your strength, all right?" He let go of her chin, and smiled. "Come now, let's go out... After all, it's your last day of freedom, do you really want to spend the rest of it moping in your room?" He asked, looking slightly reproving.

She laughed, a beautiful sound, and took her brother's hand pulling him with her as they exited the room.

"All right, why don't we go explore the filthy streets of London as we once used to." She said, giggling.

"That's the spirit. What better way to spend the afternoon but out there amidst the thieves and other scoundrels of our great capital." He said, blue eyes twinkling.

* * *

Morning came faster than Caroline had hoped. She had spent the rest of yesterday's afternoon walking around London with Robb, as she pointed out some of the changes that happened when he was gone. This had eventually led to a childish game of tag, and when they arrived back to their small home, they were covered in mud, which caused a rather long lecture from Mother, and jealous whining from little Laura, who had wanted to join in on the games with her older siblings. Robb, of course, being the cheerful person he was, ended picking up Laura and spinning her around, like he used to when she a young child, causing laughs to erupt from the entire family. Even Father was sporting a small smile.

The happy feeling didn't last, however, as she went to bed, she had heard her mother softly crying in the other room and even Caroline herself let a few tears fall.

She didn't have much time contemplate her sadness, though, as the morning was spent in a rush.

As Caroline put the last few things of her possessions into her trunk, her mother entered carrying a package.

"Darling, I have some things for you, before you go." She said, eyes red from a night spent in tears. She lay the package on the bed, unwrapping it and pulling out a hair clip encrusted with small sea shells. "This was passed down from my mother, who got it from her mother, and I thought that you might like have it, as a little reminder that I will always be with you, no matter how far you are in the world. And, when your ten-year is done, we will wait to welcome you home, my darling." She handed it to Caroline, who clutched it carefully.

"It's beautiful Mama. Thank you." She said, clearing her throat as it filled with dry tears. Her mother wasn't done, however, as she pulled something else out of the package. It was a long, moss green cloak, made of a fine, thick material. Its brass clasp was a design of leaves and vines, entwining together. "Oh Mama, you shouldn't have."

"Hush now, child, I hadn't given you a birthday present, now had I? Besides, this'll ease my worry, at least I know you will be warm, wherever you are going." She said.

"All right then, I suppose I'll have to accept it." Caroline said with a small smile. For a moment, mother and daughter both stood there, simply looking at one another. Then Lucile pulled her daughter close to her in a warm embrace, unique to mothers, and stroked Caroline's hair, as she often did when her daughter, this strong woman, was but a wisp of a girl.

"Be safe, Caroline. Don't do anything reckless; keep your lessons in mind. And, remember..."

"...never catch their eyes. I know Mother." Caroline said pulling back a bit, to look at her mother directly. "I'll be alright, don't worry too much."

"Yes, you will be... You really were born and bred for this, weren't you?" Lucile asked in wonder.

"Well, I have been taught by the best." Caroline smiled.

"Yes you have." Lucile chuckled. "Now, what are we doing simply standing here? We should be packing your trunk!"

The rest of the time was spent packing and joking, enjoying the chance to laugh together whilst it lasted.

* * *

Trunk packed, and placed safely in the back of the horse-drawn carriage, the entirety Forbes family stood outside their humble home, bidding the two eldest children farewell. Laura was clutching Caroline, sniffing slightly.

"I don't want you to go, Care. Who is going to play with me now?" She asked mournfully, looking up at her older sister with big eyes, tears falling over her delicate cheeks.

"Don't worry Laura-bear, you'll have all your friends, and Mother and Father to keep you company." Laura simply sniffed and let go of her sister, looking down in sadness. Caroline crouched down to get a better look at her sister's face. "Please, Laura, don't be sad. This isn't a terrible thing. We owe the Mikaelsons a lot, and they pay us well for out service. We are much better off than some of the others in this city. So don't cry! I won't be gone forever, you and I will see each other again... I promise." Caroline took her sister's small hands into hers, squeezing them, and placed gently kiss to her cheek. She then smiled at her once more, before standing up and walking to her father.

For a moment they both simply stood there, both at a loss of what to say.

"Farewell, Father." Caroline eventually stated, voice thick. She smiled sadly as her father nodded and placed a kiss to his cheek, much like she had with Laura. Then she turned to her mother, the woman who had nurtured her from birth.

Lucile embraced her daughter quickly, not one to draw things out.

"Goodbye, my darling. I love you. Take care of yourself" She said, as she pulled away.

"I will. I love you too Mama. Goodbye." Caroline looked at all of the family she would most likely not see for the next ten years, and turned away, hopping into the carriage. Robb entered a few moments later, having said his farewells, and sat next to his sister.

He saw the wetness on her cheeks, but knew there would be no comforting her today, so he took her hand, and told the driver to go, all the while looking back to see their family waving them away.

* * *

The carriage ride was around four hours. To Caroline, it was shorter than it seemed, though she spent the last four hours in silence, it went by quicker than she would have liked.

As the carriage rumbled to a stop, a footman opened the door of the coach. Robb went out first, helping his sister as she escaped the small thing. The first thing Caroline did upon seeing the estate was gasp.

It was vast and palace-like, and bathed in the sunlight it looked positively godly. Her brother and she were currently standing on a winding cobblestone path, which, if you looked back, led to a black iron gate, barely visible under the trees shrouding it. Just in front of them was the entrance way to the great estate, even the _door_ was giant.

Caroline had never imagined that a place so very grand could exist.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Robb's voice sounded next to her. She nodded, awestruck. "Come on then, let's get inside." Caroline made to grab her trunk, but Robb's hand stopped her. "Leave it, the servants will get it."

Momentarily confused, she voiced her thoughts, "But, aren't we servants?"

"In a way, yes, but not that kind of servant... We are in charge of organizing the Mikaelsons daily lives, we make sure their estates are in order, and prepare their properties for their arrival, we keep their money ledgers, and help with their companies, but doing simple things such as cooking and cleaning? I think not. We are much like relations officers, I suppose you could say. We simply make sure their secret stays secret... We clean up their messes... Figuratively, of course." Robb said, then he looked down at her. "But, you know all of this sister, so why would you think you would be something such a _parlour maid_?" He said, looking rather distressed, as if parlour maids were the worst thing you could be.

It was the first time Caroline really took note of Robb's change, and that perhaps it was not all for the good. He's gotten used to the splendour surrounding the Originals, she supposed. She just hoped he is not too different, they may be glorified servants, but, they are still just that, _servants_.

"I don't know, brother," she replied, "Papa did always say we would be in their _service_, does that not imply we would be _servants_?" She asked, her snarky nature coming through. Robb looked at her shocked, before breaking out into laughs.

"Oh, Care, you can always make me laugh," he told his bewildered sister, "taking things so seriously. I was just saying, yes we are servants, but not that kind." He said, shaking his head, as if she was in the wrong. _Annoying big brothers_, she thought, shooting him a glare, only to hear more laughter in return.

_Honestly, you'd think he was a four-year-old, not that he was past his fourth-year-service._

* * *

The inside of the estate was just as grand as the outside, if not more so. Every inch of the place was decorated lavishly, but still tastefully. Everywhere you looked there was something interesting, or subtly beautiful to look at. Caroline decided that she loved it, almost against her will. She didn't really want to admit any sort of affection of anything concerning the Originals.

As Robb gave her a tour of the house, if you could call it that, he explained how things would work.

"There are five floors in the house, the ground floor, the first and second floors, the basement, and the attic. The first and second floors are, well, not exactly off limits, but they are not for us to trample across either, these are where our masters' chambers are located, along with other rooms for their private use. So, just avoid those floors, only be there when you have an emergency. The attic is where our bedrooms are, along with some storage space. The ground floor, and basement is where we will spend most of our time, however, as the ground floor is where meetings are held, deals are made. The basement is where the servants quarters, and the kitchens, as well as some other, less... savoury rooms are held... but, don't concern yourself about that..." Robb cleared his throat. "The other family estates are organized much the same way, however, this is the biggest one. Apart from the family estates, there are also an assortment of private properties, much smaller of course, that belong solely to one family member-"

"Robb, this is interesting, and all, but, if you would, could you tell me more about _them_?" She interrupted, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"I'm sure I'll be more of use for that." Came a new voice from behind them. Both Forbes siblings turned around abruptly, startled. There was a woman standing there, she was of average height, and raven-haired, and had bright blue eyes. Forbes eyes.

"Hello Mary." Robb said, confirming Caroline's suspicions.

"Cousins." Mary replies. "Welcome... Ah, is this her?" She looked Caroline up and down, inspecting her like one would a horse. "Yes, I think she'll do, Lord Klaus will be pleased. Come, girl." She commanded, walking away. Caroline looked up at her brother, who nodded gesturing for her to follow.

"So you would like to know about the masters, I hear?" Mary inquired, walking briskly to the back of the house, through the many corridors.

"Yes, miss." Caroline replied, walking faster to keep up.

"It's Mary. Not miss, not ma'am, just Mary. And why should I tell you anything?" Mary added contemptuously.

"Um, well..." Caroline stuttered, caught off guard.

"Well, what? Speak up girl!"

"Well, we are family, are we not?" Caroline said strongly, already disliking her cousin. She had never met Mary before, being only six when her cousin began her ten-year, and from what she has seen so far, well, Caroline is getting a feeling she won't like her at all.

"If you could call it that."

"I thought blood meant family." Caroline said, eyes sparking.

"I hear family is more than blood." Mary replied, smirking in triumph.

"You're right. Family _is_ more than blood. Family is unconditional love and friendship, and how is anyone supposed to be your friend when you won't even help them?"

Mary, stared for a moment, strangely silent, eyes fixing on her younger cousin, before smiling a little. "What do you want to know, girl?"

"Everything. And it's Caroline, not girl." The blond shook her head in frustration, shooting a glare at her companion.

Mary smirked, "I get the feeling you'll do just fine... Caroline."

* * *

Turns out, Mary was not as bad as she first seemed. Yes, she was almost brutally honest with her opinion, but then again Caroline was often that way as well, and, yes, she acted like she was much superior her younger cousin, but, she still answered all of Caroline's questions and even gave tips. Although... some of them were not all that helpful.

"Will you stay a while Mary? Even though I am your replacement?"

"I won't be staying long, just until Lord Klaus arrives to release me, and then I am gone for good." Mary looked at the ground, a smile that seemed half happiness and half bitterness appeared on her face. She glanced back up at Caroline. "But, I will make sure to help you before I leave, I wouldn't want you to do something that will make Lord Klaus think that I am better for service than you are. I do not want to be here any longer than necessary." Caroline frowned, was Niklaus really so bad?

"When will Lord Niklaus arrive in London?" She asked, changing the subject.

"In a few days, I believe. Everything will need to be cleaned and readied for his arrival. The happier he is, the better it is for you." Mary stated.

"Who else will be coming?"

"As far as I'm aware Lord Elijah and Lady Rebekah. You'll find that the three of them are often together, Lady Rebekah and Lord Klaus are particularly close. Lord Kol, on the other hand, is a bit of a wild card; you most likely won't see much of him." Caroline soaked up this information like a sponge, knowing it would help later on. What was the saying? _Know thy enemy_.

Well, maybe not an enemy. At least she hoped not.

"Alright, that's enough of your questions. I will show you to your room, we are going to have a long day tomorrow, there is a lot of work to be done."

* * *

When Mary said there was a lot of work to do, Caroline did not expect quite so much work. Although neither did any of the cleaning nor any of the sweeping themselves, the work was rather exhausting. For two straight days they had to direct this maid there, or this footman there.

The many rooms had to be cleaned, white sheets pulled of furniture, ornaments placed correctly. The kitchens had to be restocked as well, even though the masters of the estate were vampires, they still liked to consume human food, not to mention the human servants needed nutrition as well. It wasn't just that either, there was more administrative things to be done. Mary showed her the ledgers that she would have to keep and update regularly, who she would need to keep in contact with to care for the other properties that belonged to the Mikealsons, or, more specifically, Niklaus, among other things.

On Caroline's third day at the Mikealson estate, they finally received word that the three vampires would be arriving the next day; Caroline could not be more nervous. She was meeting the people that her entire life had revolved around. It was strange, knowing as much as she did about them, and meeting them... Well, she wasn't quite sure whether she should be excited or anxious.

For now she would just stick to nervousness.

* * *

The entire household was in a flurry the next morning, the final touches being made. Even ever calm Mary seemed somewhat frazzled, getting frustrated with everyone. Currently Mary and Caroline were in the large entryway, awaiting the Originals' arrival. Even Robb was there, watching as Mary yelled at one of the poor serving girls, who had missed a small smudge on the gold-rimmed mirror which hung on one side of the hall.

"Are you alright Care?" Robb asked, turning to his sister.

"Yes... No... I'm not quite sure. I just..." Caroline sighed, giving up trying to express her feelings. Robb just nodded in understanding... He had been in her place, once.

Suddenly, one of the many servants came running up, straight towards the three of them. "They're here!" He exclaimed. Immediately, Mary dismissed all of the servants, heading for the front door. In a rush, Caroline and Robb followed her.

Once outside, Caroline could a see a horse-drawn carriage making its way down the cobblestone path. The carriage was grand, obviously much more lavish than the one she and Robb had ridden in, but, Caroline had come expect such things with the Originals. As the carriage neared, Caroline's heart started beating faster and faster. Her was head was swimming in thoughts. _What will they look like? How will they act?_ Honestly, she had no clue. All of her life's studies could really give her no answer.

The carriage pulled to a stop, and Caroline's heart was racing like a horse. A footman ran out to the carriage, already opening its door. The first out was a beautiful woman, she had blonde hair which was radiant in the morning sun. Her dress clung to her perfectly, and was made of a fine green silk. Her gloved hands took the footman's as he led her out of the carriage, her eyes roving over the three of them, calculating. This must be Lady Rebekah.

The next person out of the carriage was a man. He looked to be quite a bit older than Rebekah, but not so much older that he could be mistaken for her father. He was handsome, with a strong jaw, and chin-length brown hair. He glanced at them briefly before walking to his sister's side.

The last man out of the carriage immediately caught Caroline's attention. He was strikingly handsome, almost beautiful; she could see that even at this distance. He carried himself well, and had presence, anyone could tell. His own eyes roved over the three of them slowly, and Caroline glanced away, not wanting to be caught looking.

As the three vampires approached, Mary dipped into curtsy, and Caroline followed as Robb bowed. The three of them only straightened when the striking man addressed Caroline's cousin.

"Ah Mary, I assume you prepared everything?" He asked, making it sound like more of a command.

"Yes m'lord." She replied, eyes cast down.

"Good." The man then turned to Caroline, who averted her eyes. "And who might this fine young woman be?"

"This is my cousin, m'lord, she is to be-"

"Your replacement." He stated, cutting through Mary's introduction. He slowly approached Caroline, who still avoided looking at him directly. Once in front of her, he paused for a minute, before lifting his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. As their gazes met, Caroline felt a shiver run down her spine. She felt herself looking into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, with a face to match. She was so caught in his gaze, she almost missed his question.

"What is your name?" He asked, still crushing her with his hypnotic gaze.

"Caroline Forbes, m'lord." She replied, dazed. He took his hand from her chin, only to take her hand instead. He took it to his lips, kissing it lightly, glancing up at her from under his lashes. As he straightened, he smiled charmingly at her.

"It's a pleasure. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. But you, my dear, can call me Klaus."

And in that first moment, Caroline knew that she was done for.

_Oh dear Lord._

**Whew, that was loooong.**

**I know this was kind of long-winded, and I apologize for that. The next chapters will be more fast-moving, and there will be a lot more Klaus. This was more of a set up chapter.**

**Anyways, please R&R!**

**RW**

**Edited - 17/08/12**


	3. Changing Winds

**Finally, chapter 2!**

**This chapter has a lot more Klaus, so yay! I don't really have much to say except I hope chapter three is up by the end of the week.**

**Also, I'd just like to thank all of you that reviewed: shadowfaxangel, Laney-Dee, DGfleetfox, HeroinceInducedPanic, Lilly, laliela, Klaroline, SeptemberBlues, mathhh, KahlanDarcy, stars and secrets, Mia, slarya, Klaroline, DecoyDream, maevelin, Klarolinewillneverdi, Clara, Scarlett, Vielyne, babyvfan, InuGnome17, beadedheart, shay, Loverm Betseyjill, refreshedlove, Lin, SClover4520, , klauslove, and CKlover. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME :)**

**I'd also like to thank all of you who added this story to your Story Alert and and Fav lists! Thanks a bunch!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own TVD, much to my disappointment.**

Chapter 2

Changing Winds

_South of England, 1550_

Klaus was having a decidedly bad week. After many years of waiting, he had finally caught wind of Katerina's location. Naturally, he had left his lovely estate in Prague and ran after her through most of North-Western Europe, alas to no avail. He had gotten so close but Katerina, being who she was, had managed to give him the slip. Again.

Not to mention Elijah had to bring up the topic of undaggering Finn, as he did every few decades. Klaus had, of course, immediately shut his idea down. After all, did they not have enough problems to occupy their time with than worrying for the ever-melancholy traitor that was his brother, Finn?

Honestly, it's like Klaus is the only one to think ahead. His brother seemed to have forgotten that Mikael was still after them.

Still, all of this combined made one very unhappy Original.

The unnecessary carriage ride was certainly not improving his mood either.

Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah were currently on their way to their London estate, or as Klaus liked to call it, the Mikealson Manor. It was one of Klaus' favorite houses, and if he were to choose where to settle down, it would have been there… Or perhaps the one in Tuscany; Italy _was_ a bit warmer than England, he had to admit…

Naturally, Klaus, being rather impatient as he is, wanted to run there as soon as they got off the bloody boat, and, of course, Elijah insisted they go by carriage.

"We don't need the attention," He had said. "You know how humans talk, soon Mikael will hear about the blurs that speeded by in the forest… What do you think he will do then? We are lucky enough that he hasn't figured out the location of our properties…" Elijah had gone on, but Klaus had paid no mind, to busy nearly seething to himself.

He didn't show his anger, naturally. He had long since learned to mask his emotions, but, still, even after five hundred years he had trouble controlling his temper.

Luckily, though there was Elijah, there was always Rebekah there with him as well, and Rebekah was very much Klaus' sister. She was of much the same temperament as he, which made their… disagreements all the more dramatic, but made them closer as well; they got along quite well at times. And, if Klaus knew one thing, it was that Rebekah hated having restrictions as much as he did.

She was sitting next to Klaus, across from their older brother, busily looking through designs for new dresses, when with a roll of her eyes, she simply glared up at Elijah.

"Elijah, we're already in the damned carriage, so do shut up before I rid you of your manhood."

There was a moment of silence.

Klaus suddenly broke into a loud laugh, whilst Elijah sat looking ever-stoic and honorable, yet, even he had a slight smirk on his face.

"Well, well, Elijah, it seems our little sister has quite the temper, wouldn't want to anger her little blond head, now would we?" He said, surprising both of his siblings with his sudden turn-around in mood.

"It seems not." Elijah confirmed, matching Klaus' full out smirk.

Rebekah glared at the both of them, before huffing and turning back to the dress designs. Both brothers chuckled at her before falling into an unexpected, but comfortable silence.

* * *

Hours later, and still in the carriage, the pleasant mood had long since dissipated. Even Elijah, who normally had a very even disposition, was beginning to get frustrated. Being stuck in a small space with two other vampires, no, two _siblings_ was not a bright idea.

Elijah would have been happy to stay completely silent as Rebekah and Klaus bickered, but, he had something to tell his brother, and he couldn't put it off any longer. Elijah knew that it was best only to tell news to an emotionally stable Klaus, and even then, he could still be volatile, such was his nature. Right now, Klaus was certainly not in the best mood, so Elijah was understandably hesitant. Still, it had to be done.

"Have you sent your manservant ahead of you, brother?" Rebekah's voice broke into his internal debate. He fought the urge to express his annoyance. It was quite clear that Rebekah wished to have Robb as a plaything, she was not precisely subtle about her affections. It was rather irksome to Elijah, after all, Robb was _his _manservant, not just that, he was his Forbes servant, and he didn't want his sister doing anything foolish. After all, not all servants are quite so well trained, and you only got a new one every ten years.

"Yes, Robb, went to go get the estate ready, and to collect her sister."

"Collect his sister, why would he need to do that?" Rebekah asked, as Klaus stayed sitting back, uninterested.

"She has reached of age, and will begin her ten-year for Niklaus." At this Klaus looked up. Had the other girl already completed her ten-year? Well, all Klaus could say to that is he hoped the new one was not as dull as the last. He had barely needed to lay his eyes on Mary and she was his for the taking. Such a simpleton.

It was becoming a boring game, to charm his little maidservants so they would happily die for him, and everyone knew that a bored Klaus was a very dangerous Klaus, indeed.

"Hopefully this one will be better than the last than the other one," Is all Klaus said, deciding to not let _humans_ of all things occupy his thoughts.

* * *

_London, England 1550_

The carriage had finally reached their estate, just passing through the black, iron gate and down the winding, cobblestone path. Klaus relaxed into his seat, nearly sighing in relief. Spending time with Elijah of late had been quite boring. Ever since that blasted Katerina had escaped his older brother did not act as he used to.

It vexed Klaus.

The carriage rolled to a stop and the door opened. Rebekah was the first out, the footman giving her hand, elaborate dress swooshing as she exited. Elijah followed, and Klaus was last, gracefully leaving the small cage that held him for the last half-day.

He straightened, eyes immediately hitting the three humans that were out to greet them. There were two women and one man, and all three stood quietly, waiting. He recognized two of them, Mary, his maidservant, and the boy who was under Elijah's command. The third was unfamiliar, however.

She was blonde, not the straw-colored blonde, but brighter, much brighter. It was as if the sun was weaved into her hair. As he attempted to get a look at her face, he noticed she had averted her eyes, and was standing demurely.

_This one_, he thought, _she's prepared._

As he and his siblings approached, the three immediately bowed.

"Ah Mary, I assume you prepared everything?" He addressed her, as she straightened from her curtsy.

"Yes m'lord." She replied promptly.

"Good." He turned to the mysterious blonde girl, who was still looking down. "And who might this fine young woman be?"

"This is my cousin, m'lord, she is to be-"

"Your replacement." He cut in, realizing why the girl was here. He then walked to the girl, until he was right in front of her. She still had her eyes down and it irritated Klaus; he didn't even know what the girl looked like. _Best put a stop to that_. He lifted two fingers under her chin, forcing her to look up at him, her gaze meeting his. Klaus was immediately struck by the fact that the girl was rather... beautiful.

The second thing that struck him was that her gaze was surprisingly unwavering. Her eyes seemed to hold an innate intelligence and kindness he did not often see.

"What is your name?" He asked, suddenly realizing he had no idea of what this girl was called.

"Caroline Forbes, m'lord." She replied in honey-like voice. He let his hand fall from her chin, before taking her hand, and bowing a little to give her soft skin a light kiss. He glanced up at her, her gaze was still unwavering.

"It's a pleasure. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. But you, my dear, can call me Klaus." He said, smiling at his new maidservant.

_This will be interesting._

* * *

_Oh dear Lord._

Caroline knew she should avert her eyes. It was expected of her, she had been told this over and over and yet she couldn't. It was as if all of her training went out of the window the minute Lord Niklaus looked at her. There was something about him… and the fact Caroline was very aware that he still had her hand in his was not helping the situation.

As if he heard her thoughts, he dropped her hand and stepped back a little.

"I trust you will serve me well, Caroline." He stated, and he looked at her, a tad menacingly. Even with this, she couldn't help the little shiver that came when he said her name.

"Yes, m'lord." She said quickly, before she let her thoughts get away from her. She tore her gaze away from his, and dipped into another curtsy. As she got back up, she noticed his small nod.

"Good. Now, I believe it's about time we saw the house." He then walked away, taking his beautiful eyes and charming smile with him, and turned to the house, his siblings following closely.

"Mary," He called, not bothering to look back, "Come, we have some business to attend to." Mary scurried after her lord. Not a minute later, he disappeared into the estate.

Caroline let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. What was going on with her? Was she really going to be one of those girls who swooned and let go of their morals and principals after _one_ look from a man… well, a good-looking man, a _very _good-looking man… _No! I will not think this way. Lord Niklaus is dangerous and the worst of all the Originals. Just because he is different than you imagined does not mean he is any less a vampire than when you have been taught,_ Caroline scolded herself, disbelieving at her own thoughts.

"Well, that was not so bad." Robb interrupted her self-rant. Caroline almost jumped at his voice, for a moment she had forgotten he was there, that he existed. What was wrong with her? "He was surprisingly well-behaved, I must say. Though, I am a bit worried… he seemed a little too kind…" Robb went on, concern in his eyes.

"Do not fret, dear brother." Caroline said, not missing the irony of _that_ when she was the one worrying herself. "Everything's fine."

Robb looked unconvinced, but he let it drop, for which she was grateful. She didn't quite know what she would say if he asked what was wrong; she wasn't sure herself.

* * *

Three hours or so after the Mikaelsons had arrived, Caroline had yet to see another peep of Lord Niklaus. She had seen Lady Rebekah commanding the servants to grab the many trunks that they had brought along with them, so many that a second carriage had arrived later carrying them all. This carriage was also carrying her uncle, Richard, Lady Rebekah's manservant. She had only been able to greet him briefly before he was off doing his Lady's bidding. Still, it was nice to see her father's youngest brother again, if only for a moment.

Lord Elijah had called Robb away an hour ago and Mary was still with Lord Niklaus, wherever he was, leaving Caroline to her own devices. She didn't know what she should do; her last few days had been filled with work and she hadn't done much else so now that there was no organizing to be done, or ledgers that needed to be updated, and today's work was also already completed, she was at a loss.

Caroline wandered around the ground floor, looking in the many rooms. Though she had been given a tour, she hadn't really been able to really explore anywhere. She wandered rather aimlessly, until she happened upon the library.

This was one of Caroline's favorite rooms in the estate. It was easily the largest space of the entire house, wide with a high ceiling. There were beautiful mahogany bookcases making neat rows, each filled with all manner of novels and written works. The best part however, was the wall of arched windows at the back of the library, letting in lots of sunlight. It bathed the library in a comforting golden light that reflected off the hardwood floors.

Caroline found herself wandering to one of the windows farthest away from the entrance to the library. This was one of the few windows that didn't reach the floor, instead it had a comfortable window seat. She sat down hesitantly, not quite sure whether she was even allowed to be in here for anything other than business.

Still, the view from the window was so beautiful that she let herself relax and lean her back against the cushions. She took her feet from her shoes and tucked them under herself, dull green dress covering them.

From here she could see far out into the property's grounds, which she had yet to explore. To the right there was a large stretch of fields, green, dotted with little flowers of all colors. To her left, there were cultured flowerbeds and beyond that forest. The loveliest sight, however, was the pond, though she could barely see it; it was so far out. There was a weeping willow sweeping over it, and she could see the makings of a small bridge.

It looked utterly peaceful, a peace which she herself had never known.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Caroline nearly jumped out of her skin as she whipped around too fast, causing her to nearly topple of the seat had it not been for the strong hand catching her arm. She felt herself blush in embarrassment, and glanced up to thank her savior…

… only to see it was Lord Niklaus.

She immediately jumped up, ripping his hand away from her in the process. Blushing, she dipped into a clumsy curtsy.

"F-Forgive me, m'lord. I had not seen you there." She said shakily as she got up from her curtsy. She shifted under his gaze, once again unwilling to meet his gaze.

"I can see that." He stated, amusement coloring his tone. Caroline peeked up at him, surprised to see the mirth in his eyes. She had been certain that he would be angry with her, first for presuming to use his library, and then for nearly knocking into him… "Might I ask, what were you doing?" He asked. Caroline immediately started to apologize.

"I am sorry, m'lord, I should not have assumed that I could sit here, I will-"

"No need to apologize." He interrupted. She looked up at him again, momentarily at a loss, surprised by his apparent calmness. "I am not angry, just curious." He said, fixing his mesmerizing eyes on her again. Caroline was still confused, she opened her mouth to ask him why he was curious, but realized she should probably not call any more attention to herself, and snapped it shut. Lord Niklaus, however, was very observant she would learn, and saw her moment of weakness.

"Ask your question." He said simply.

"Well, m'lord, I'm not sure I should…"

"Just ask." He said, no, commanded, patience waning.

"I was just wondering… why are you curious m'lord?" She asked, looking away from him. She was yet again surprised when she heard a low chuckle.

"Is that really all?" At her hesitant nod, another chuckle escaped him. "Well, Caroline, I was just curious as to what you were so interested in that you could not even hear my footsteps. I haven't seen someone so completely lost in thought in a long, long time." He said wryly, looking at her as if she should answer his unspoken question.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Well, m'lord, I have never been this far away from the busyness of the city and the grounds are so wide and _green_ that I wondered what it must be like to grow in a place with such scenery. I, myself, would go for a walk every day, until I got lost…" Caroline suddenly realized she was babbling, and to _Lord Niklaus_ of all people! Cleary she had a death wish of some sort, unknown until now. She snapped her jaw shut again, and glanced to her feet.

"I suppose beauty is easy to get used to when you've lived for five hundred years." He stated thoughtfully as he looked out to the gardens. Caroline looked up to see he had his arms crossed across his chest, head tilted to one side as if he could figure out the meaning of life, or, in his case, _un_life, by seeing the world at that angle.

He suddenly looked down at her, eyes meeting hers. Again she felt herself being sucked in by his gaze…

The clearing of a throat caused her to look behind herself and Lord Niklaus, once again safe from his eyes. She saw Mary, who had an odd look on her face, but she curtsied before Caroline could properly analyze it.

"Everything is ready, m'lord." She said.

"Good, go ahead and get ready for the ritual, we will begin in ten minutes." He commanded briskly, amused tone gone. Mary promptly left, but not without first glancing to her cousin, the strange glint back in her eye.

Once she left, Lord Niklaus looked back to Caroline, "Come." Is all he said.

He began walking, and Caroline hurried to follow. A few moments later Lord Niklaus stopped suddenly and she almost ran into him. He turned, and slowly glanced down at her feet and then looked back to her face, a look of mocking laughter about his face.

"Forgetting something?" He smirked. Caroline looked down to see her bare feet.

In her hurry, she had forgotten her shoes.

Caroline could have smacked herself.

* * *

After much embarrassment and blushing, Caroline retrieved her missing shoes and followed her master into the basement. It momentarily occurred to her that she was following one of the oldest, most dangerous vampires in the world into a _basement_… Clearly, her judgment had been lacking of late. Still, he was her lord, and she a mere servant, who was she to refuse him? Not to mention that the fact that this old, dangerous vampire could probably rip her heart out was enough incentive for her to follow him.

As she went down the dark corridors of the basement, she realized she was heading away from the kitchens. She had never been to this side of the basement before, Robb had warned her to avoid it. She gulped as the corridor grew darker, only lit by the torches attached to the walls.

They turned a corner and Caroline realized she was in a dungeon. This place had a dungeon. She shivered and she wished she had brought the cloak her mother gave her down here, even though she knew it was not the cold affecting her. She began to feel a little frightened, what were they doing here?

Finally they reached a heavy wooden door, and he led her inside. The room was a large, cavern-like space and in the center there were the outlines of two circles made of what looked to be ash. In between the two circles was a dais of sorts, two unlit torches stood in the ground on either side of it. They were not the only two in the room, she realized, Robb was there too, as was Mary and another woman Caroline did not recognize.

Lord Niklaus left her without another word, going to the unknown woman. As soon as he walked away, Mary and Robb approached her.

"What's going on?" She asked, soon as they reached her.

"I'm sorry, Care, we forgot to tell you the ritual was happening so soon, we were just so preoccupied with getting everything ready." Robb said, apologetically.

"The ritual… wait, the _binding_ ritual?" Caroline whispered furiously. "Why did you not tell me sooner? I could have gone over the words!" To say Caroline was simply angry would be a severe understatement.

One of the first things you learn as a Forbes going into a ten-year was the binding ritual. It was a spell that was performed by a witch that bound the human to the vampire. It wasn't a dangerous bind, or really even that big of one. It wouldn't affect Caroline in any way, unless she tried to run from her ten-year duty.

See, the binding ritual was not so much a binding ritual as a tracking spell. If Caroline made to leave or go anywhere without her lord's permission, Niklaus would know where she was. Of course, he didn't need to know her _every _move, as long as she didn't drift too far off, she didn't need his permission. However, if she, say, left the city, or country in attempt to escape, the tracking spell would activate.

It was nifty little spell, very old magic and it only worked with a human and a vampire.

And now, Caroline was about to get bound to Lord Niklaus.

_Oh, Bollocks_.

**That's it! I know, it's a lot shorter than chapter one, but, I couldn't think of a better place to end the chapter so…. But, no worries, chapter three will most likely end up as long as chapter one :D**

**The binding thing was just something that popped into my head, I hope it doesn't seem too random… I hope the characters weren't too OOC either… **

**Also, Klaus' POV type thing at the beginning was just something that I did so you could get some more insight into the Originals' storylines, so you won't be seeing too much of that, though there will be more sometime later on.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!**

**RW**

**Edited - 17/08/12**


	4. New Ties, Old Grudges

**Hey everyone! Here is, as promised, chapter 3...**

**Again, I'd first like to thank all those who fav'd and alert'd this story! You guys are amazing and deserve many cyber cookies :D I'd also like to thank all of those of you who reviewed: maevelin, babyvfan, Kat7CA, brucasforever1418, Clara, DecoyDream, cucumber, BlueJean452, The Lifeless girl, angel1725, peachx89, DGfleetfox, SClover4520, Betseyjill, InuGnome17, PsychVamp, CKLover, Lilithdra, floopers, klauslove, beadedheart, beverlie4055, poisonivy228, shadowfaxangel, Laney-Dee, anon, and slarya. **

**Thank you guys so much!**

**Anyways, this chapter took me a while, so sorry if it seems a bit choppy, but, enjoy! Fair warning, I only went through this one quickly, so there may be a typo here or there.**

**Disclaimer: Yup, just checked, still don't own TVD :(**

Chapter 3

New Ties, Old Grudges

_London, England 1550_

_Oh Bollocks_.

Caroline glanced away from her brother and cousin and looked to Lord Niklaus, who was still standing across the room talking to the unknown woman. _That must be the witch_. Caroline shivered, from what she had learned of witches, they were the servants of nature, and depending upon their bloodline, they could hold true power. Their magic could be very old, and, sometimes, very dangerous.

Just like the Lord Niklaus.

The vampire she was to get bound to. For ten years.

Caroline felt a sudden nausea. She really wished the others had told her sooner that this would happen so quickly, or, at least, reminded her that it was actually _going_ to happen. Caroline knew she was overreacting a bit. She wasn't completely oblivious to the ritual; she had known it would happen sooner or later. She had just wished it would be... later, after she figured out what to... _think_ of her lord.

And there was just something getting bound to him that secretly, well, thrilled her, and that what was most nerve-wracking of all.

Still, she had no choice but to go through with it, after all, any Forbes who refused the binding was subject to be put to death.

And Caroline very much wanted her head _attached_ to her body.

The witch seemed to end her conversation with Niklaus, and approached the little group of humans. She was rather tall for a woman, imposing-looking, and had a braid of thick, brown hair and tanned skin. As she neared, Caroline noticed she had strange, hazel-colored eyes that immediately landed upon her.

The witch strode straight to her, an air of purpose surrounding her.

"You are the new girl?" She asked with an accent, Spanish, if Caroline would have to guess. Caroline nodded, frowning slightly. "Good. Come with me." She commanded briskly, turning away and walking to the dais. As Caroline went to reluctantly follow her, a strong hand appeared on her shoulder.

"It will be fine little sister." Robb stated, face full of reassurance and concern. At her lack of response, he turned her completely, and placed both his hands on her shoulders. He stooped a little and peered into her face. "It will be _fine_, Caroline. Just remember what Mother taught you, and instinct will do all the rest." He brushed a golden lock from her eyes and sighed slightly. "Now go to Esmeralda, before she turns you into a toad." He cracked a smile, causing Caroline own lips to turn up hesitantly. Robb squeezed her shoulders gently once, and pushed to where the witch, _Esmeralda_, stood at the dais.

Caroline went quickly to her, thinking there might be more to her brother's toad comment than he might've let on. The witch in question was busy pulling things out of a wicker basket. She pulled out two red candles, a few sorts of herbs, a wooden bowl, a large book-grimoire if Caroline was correct-and finally silver knife. The knife was menacing-looking; its silver blade gleamed, whilst the bone handle was dull and stained with small spots of red. _Blood_. Caroline nearly shivered.

"You." Came the heavily accented voice of the witch. "You will stand there." She pointed to one of the two connecting circles, drawn on the floor in grey powder. "When the time comes, you will say the words." Esmeralda then nodded to Lord Niklaus, who had been standing in the background, silently watching the proceedings. He immediately went into the other circle and stood facing Caroline.

He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, looking calm and immaculate. _Of course_, she thought, _he has probably already done this a hundred times over._ The thought made Caroline feel strangely repulsed.

Esmeralda opened her grimoire on the dais, and began to chant in unknown tongue. The two red candles lit up, as did the torches surrounding the circle.

Caroline looked alarmed, she had never seen such a thing before. It took her moment to realize that the witch's magic had caused this, that she was actually _experiencing_ magic. First-hand. It was surprisingly a glorious feeling.

Esmeralda's chanting grew louder and stronger, and it was as if a breeze had picked up in the room. The two circles themselves suddenly caught fire, and Caroline had to stifle a squeak of surprise. She looked back to Lord Niklaus, a barrier of flame now between them. He was staring back at her, lips quirked in a smirk.

As the flames continued, the barrier between them burned away, leaving only a ring of fire surrounding her and the vampire.

For a moment, Caroline let her panic overwhelm her, forgetting what she had to do, but she got a hold on her rushing feelings, and forced them back.

Letting her mother's teachings guide her, Caroline took three steps towards Niklaus, and he did the same to her. They now stood face to face, in the ashes where the former barrier had been. Esmeralda's chanting abruptly stopped and Caroline knew it was a signal for her to begin her part.

She bowed her head, blond hair falling into her face, and knelt on the ground. She raised her hands, holding them both faced upwards in a sign of submission.

"I do now pledge fealty..." Caroline spoke the words; words that had ingrained in her head since birth, "...to the Lord Niklaus, son of Mikael and Esther, and give my oath to serve loyally and without fail until the day marks the end of ten years. Whatever my actions, they shall be in his name. His desires, shall be my desires. My life shall be his." Caroline took a deep breath, and looked up at Lord Niklaus, saying the last part to him directly. "Through life, blood, and shadow, until the tides of ten years pass, I am yours."

There was a moment of silence.

"Your oath is accepted, Caroline, daughter of Lucille and Edmund." Niklaus replied, blue eyes fixed on her. The flames around them roared.

As soon as his words were finished, Caroline heard Esmeralda's accented voice. "Through life..." She took the herbs that she had brought with her, and threw them into the wooden bowl. The witch then walked towards them and through the fire, unafraid and, miraculously, unharmed.

"Through blood..." She said, and using her knife, cut one of Caroline's upturned hands. Caroline winced, and watched as Esmeralda flicked the knife over her bowl, causing some of Caroline's blood fall in. The witch then gestured at Lord Niklaus, who immediately let his vampiric face show.

This time, Caroline really did gasp. She had never before seen a vampire's true face, and it was truly menacing. Blood had seemingly filled his eyes, the veins around them starkly visible. But the fangs... The fangs were the most terrifying of all. They were long and sharp, glistening in the firelight. She shivered, involuntarily.

Niklaus seemed to notice her shiver, and looked directly at her, as if to say, _this is what I am, this is what you will be bound to._ With a snarl, he turned away, and bit deep into his hand, blood spilling around his mouth.

He pulled his back, face returning to normal, and fisted his hand over the bowl, allowing some of his own blood to fall into it. Esmeralda nodded, approving.

"...And, through shadow..." Niklaus bent down to pick up some of the ash at their feet, and Caroline joined him, scooping the dust in her slender hands. He reached out to her with his free hand, and she automatically shrunk back a bit, a reaction to seeing what a vampire really looked like. For a moment, she thought he would slap her for shrinking away, or even worse, _bite_ her, but, surprisingly, he pulled her up out her kneeling position to stand beside him.

Niklaus then surprised Caroline again by pouring the ash he held into her already ash-filled hands, before placing his hands gently under hers, rough skin touching soft. Caroline glanced up at him sharply. She was acutely aware of his body behind hers, she even felt his surprisingly warm breath on her hair.

She knew that they were supposed pour the ash into the bowl _together_, but she hardly thought that meant it had to be like _this_. _What is he up to?_

Esmeralda lowered the bowl under their joined hands, and Lord Niklaus separated Caroline's hands, allowing the dust to fall through their entwined fingers and into the bowl. As soon as the last of the ash was in the bowl, he let go of her hands, but stayed close by her side. Though a part of Caroline wished he'd move away, another, traitorous part, was missing his hands around hers.

The witch distracted Caroline from her worrying thoughts, however, when she lifted the bowl up and shouted. "...You are bound!"

The flames all around them burned brighter than ever and the contents of the bowl itself also caught fire. There was a moment where all Caroline could feel was the heat, and all she could hear was the roaring of the flame, and then all went silent as the flames finally died out.

Caroline once again looked to Lord Niklaus, only to find him staring back at her strangely, as if she were some unsolvable puzzle, blue eyes trying to see into her soul.

Caroline was afraid that he could.

After all, _they were bound._

* * *

Walking out of the basement was a huge relief to Caroline; she just needed to get away from that stifling room. It was just so oppressing. Not to mention, she needed a moment away from her lord, her conflicted feelings were sadly getting the best of her.

Luckily, _he_ had stayed behind with Esmeralda and Mary.

Speaking of her cousin, Caroline wondered what would happen to her now. She was obviously not the Lord's servant anymore, at least not officially. _Maybe she'll be sent home right away? Or will she have to stay a little longer?_ She voiced her thoughts to her brother, who was walking alongside her.

"She'll most likely be sent off tomorrow morning. Now that her bond has been broken for good-"

"What do you mean, for good?" Caroline interrupted, earning her an annoyed look from Robb.

"Well, the bond between master and servant can never be truly broken unless either of the aforementioned parties dies, _or_ if a new bond is made."

"So, now that I am bound to Klaus, she is no longer?" She asked.

"Exactly. But you should already know this... Honestly did you even take note of any of your studies?" He looked at her in disapproval and was about to continue with a lecture, but noticed Caroline's still bleeding hand. "Never mind, we'll speak of this later, first we should get your hand cleaned. Infections are never far off nowadays."

* * *

That night Caroline had not heard another peep from her lord, or anyone else really for that matter. The only person she saw ended up being Esmeralda. Her visit, however, was more than enough for Caroline.

She had been on her way down to the kitchens to check on the servants and make sure all was running smoothly when she bumped into the witch. Caroline had, of course, immediately started apologizing, thanking the gods that she at least didn't embarrass herself in front of Lord Klaus. Again.

"Watch yourself, child. There are those who are not as kind as I." The witch had stated, pinning the recently-bound girl with her strange eyes. "Things do not bode well for those in the service of vampires." Esmeralda almost spit the last word, face twisting in disgust.

"Are _you_ not also in the service of vampires?" Caroline questioned, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I am in the service of no one!" The witch bit out. "I simply owed a debt, one that I have now repaid in full. You would best to complete your debt with your head down as well, child"

"I _am_ keeping my head down." Caroline replied, indignant.

"Then why do the eyes of Lord Klaus stray?" Esmeralda smirked knowingly.

"H-his eyes do not." She stuttered, at a loss.

"Be wary of him, Caroline Forbes. He's a silver-tongued monster, his words will trick as easily as magic." The accented voice was suddenly filled with warning.

"Why are telling all of this?" She asked, exasperated.

"I see a great many things, child, and I know a good hearted person when I see one. I am not one to let such a person be corrupted by evil."

"How do you know he is evil?" Came Caroline's hesitant question that surprised even herself.

"His heart may be pure, child, but his soul is not. It is twisted, dripping in black and red. Do not let him steal your light." Esmeralda took the other girl by the shoulders for a moment.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"You will understand, if not today, then perhaps sometime soon. I bid you farewell, Caroline Forbes. Do not be fooled by darkness." And with that last ominous warning, Esmeralda left, not another word spoken.

* * *

Caroline found out the next morning that Esmeralda had left unexpectedly during the night. She was relieved that the odd woman left, her words had left a deep confusion in Caroline. The morning was not completely uneventful, however, as Mary had left as well. Their goodbye was not a great, teary one, but one of a mutual respect of sorts. Mary had simply left her with a few parting commands.

"Keep up with the tasks you are given, and even those you are not. Any problems in the household or among the servants are yours to solve. Be sure to update and check the ledgers regularly, and, try to stay out of the way. You are a servant not a business partner or companion... Do not anger him, and, above all, do not refuse him." She had said monotonously, as if reciting numbers off a chart.

Caroline had simply nodded in return and helped her into the small horse-drawn carriage; the same one she and Robb had arrived in, and that was the last she saw of Mary.

When the carriage finally pulled out of the gate, though, Caroline felt her heart sink. Now she would be serving Klaus _alone_.

* * *

The first week of her servitude had gone surprisingly fast. Her work kept Caroline busy, and she had hardly seen anything of Lord Niklaus. Of course, she had to report to him daily, but, apart from that she was left in relative peace.

Today was Sunday, and, Caroline once again found herself in the library. She had completed her tasks for the day, and had a rare afternoon to herself. She still wasn't sure whether or not she should actually be in the library; luckily however, Lord Niklaus had gone out with the Lady Rebekah and would not be back until the morning. Something about going to visit some old acquaintances or something similar, Caroline wasn't privy to know.

Still, she did know that only Lord Elijah was in the estate, and he was busily searching for something with Robb. She didn't know much about it, it was actually rather frustrating how little she knew of what went on in the house, but, she heard it was about a woman named Katerina. Robb had accidently let the name slip, but wouldn't tell her anymore of it.

So, since everyone was busy, and it was such a lovely day outside, Caroline thought this might be the opportune moment to go explore the vast grounds of the estate. Thus, she was in the library, approaching one of the large windowed doors that led out into the gardens.

As she stepped out into the sunshine Caroline pulled the cloak her mother gave her around her shoulders, a breeze blowing her golden hair into her eyes. She made her way through the flowers and shrubs, enjoying the sound twittering birds and the fresh smell of the greenery around her.

Growing up in central London had rather deprived her of these sensations. When she took a walk there she would have to be careful not to have her dress stepped on as she made her way through crowded streets and the air smelled of a mixture of baked goods and disease. Here, everything was so far removed from daily life and though Caroline liked it, she rather missed her home and family. There was no constant noise and commotion here. Life moved slowly, without rush.

That was the life of a vampire, she supposed. They had an eternity to live, but did they live as freely and beautifully as humans, she wondered?

Caroline sighed to herself, yes, things were certainly different.

She wandered aimlessly for a while, no real idea where she wanted to go until she caught a glimpse of the pond towards the end of the fields. She could now clearly see there was a wooden bench by it, and she headed that way.

The pond was truly beautiful, just as she thought when she sneaked a look at it only a week ago. _Was it really only a week_?

The leaves of the weeping willow swayed slightly with the breeze, a few of them falling into the clear waters. The pond itself held a few golden fish and lily pads floated gently on the fresh water. A small bridge made its way over it, and on the other side was the bench Caroline had seen.

She crossed the bridge and sat lightly on the bench. From here the mansion looked magnificent, it stood tall and proud. As she took in her surroundings, Caroline felt herself completely relaxing for the first since she had arrived here.

She stayed at the pond for a long time, eventually dozing off. When she finally awoke, the sun had begun to set, coloring the sky in pinks, reds, and oranges. She stood, body aching from sleeping in such an awkward position. Making her way back to the house, she saw everything was still running smoothly enough.

She knew that as soon as she entered she would be bombarded with questions, and a million more tasks would have to be done, and Caroline couldn't work up the enthusiasm to return to working. So she took a detour and headed to the stables.

Though she had never learned to ride, Caroline had always had a secret passion for horses. Something about them just had a calming effect on her. Upon entering the stables however, she found that she was not alone.

There, standing by a great white mare, was the other master of the house, Lord Elijah.

Caroline had yet to have properly met her brother's lord, yes she saw him around the house, and when she had been introduced to Lord Niklaus, but, apart from that, they had not said a word to each other. She supposed it was normal, however, after all, she was a mere human girl in their eyes, was she not?

Lord Elijah had his back turned to her, grooming the mare. It was an odd sight, Caroline thought that it was the duty of the stable boys to care for the horses, not that of Elijah's. She wasn't quite sure whether or not to turn and leave, pretending to have never seen him, or to stay and apologize for intruding.

Carloline chose the former, deciding to avoid any more unwanted confrontations with the Mikaelson family. However, just as she made to go, Lord Elijah spoke, shattering her notion of escaping unseen.

"You do not need to leave, girl, I am almost done." He said, not turning to face her.

Regardless, she dropped into a quick curtsy. _Option two, it is_.

"Begging your pardon, m'lord, I did not presume to disturb you." She stated demurely.

"You are not disturbing me, girl, on the contrary, I could use some help with my horse." Came his commanding voice. He finally turned to face her. "Your name is Caroline, is it not? You are Robb's sister?" He asked, not unkindly.

"Yes, m'lord." She nodded, keeping her eyes down. Though both her brother and father always called Elijah an honourable man, she was still hesitant around him. He was still a vampire, an honourable vampire, but a vampire all the same.

_Hypocrite... Lord Niklaus is often called the worst of the Original family and yet you are not hesitant around him! _A traitorous voice came from the corner of Caroline's mind. She quickly crushed the thought, knowing that it would only lead to bad places. Lord Elijah continued to stare at her, inquisitively. He then motioned her to him and repeated his earlier words.

"I could use some help with my horse."

Once she stood next to Lord Elijah, Caroline realized she didn't really know what to do. She was a city girl, not accustomed to helping out... lords with their horses. She stood awkwardly, and watched silently as said lord brushed the mare.

"Pick up a brush." He commanded, pointing behind him to the racks of tools. She quickly grabbed one at random and moved to the other side of the mare, standing across the vampire. Once again looking at him, she copied his movements, still somewhat uncertain that she was doing it right. They stood in silence, and Caroline wondered why he wanted her to help him. She wasn't, well, for lack of a better term, _his _human... So, why should he want her to do anything? Her contemplation was cut short, however, when the lord once again spoke to her.

"Your brother has told me quite a few stories about you." He stated. Caroline looked at him, confused, Elijah simply met her gaze firmly. "Does it really shock you that much that I wish to converse with my manservant?" He asked. Caroline said nothing, but glanced back down. "I suppose your silence says all." Again they stood, neither talking, the only sound was the occasional snort of one of the horses, or of their brushes being dragged down the back of the mare. "Living as long as one such as I can become a bore, especially when one is in the company of the same people for five hundred years... really, I would have thought a clever girl would expect me to converse with people. Even if they are my servants." Again, there was no reply from Caroline.

She knew she should probably say something. She may be portraying herself as downright rude, but she was afraid she would just let her mouth go on the run and say something that was disrespectful... and, besides, Lord Elijah didn't seem to mind her just listening.

"Humans interpret the world differently than us vampires, you see. You live such short lives... Like a fire, you burn brightly for a while, but you fade just as quickly. It gives me peace of mind, at times, to speak with people who hold different views than I or my siblings."

Caroline kept silent, and took the opportunity to mull over Elijah's words. He had an equanimity about him, and he seemed to be a generally wise person. _Honourable_. Just as Papa and Robb told her. She felt her earlier hesitation melt away; Lord Elijah was not what one would expect when you heard the word _vampire_.

Lord Niklaus on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. He wasn't what she had expected either, but there was something about him... He was mysterious in an unattainable sort of way; it was as if nothing could touch him... and there was a danger lurking just under his charming demeanour. But, also, Caroline felt, vulnerability. She had not spent much time with her lord, but Caroline always had a knack for reading people, and though she was not sure, she felt that Niklaus was not what he seemed.

"Though, I must say, conversing with seems to be a rather one-way path. From Robb's stories, I can't help but to expect you to be bubbling with energy." Lord Elijah continued, for once meeting her eyes. Caroline finally broke her silence.

"Little girls grow up, m'lord, and my brother has always been more of the talker." She said, not shifting her gaze.

"Ah, yes, _brothers_. They always seem to be the root of the problem." Elijah replied, a sliver of bitterness entering his tone. Caroline looked at him in question, from what she could make of the Originals, she thought them to be a close knit group... Discounting Lord Finn, of course...

"Do you tire of the Lord Niklaus' company, Lord Elijah?" She asked daringly; she knew it wasn't really her place, but, damn, she was curious.

"You will find that you tire of many a people's company after five centuries, girl." He stated, voice sounding wary. "But, yes even I can grow tired of Klaus _Mikaelson_." He said their last name with venom, as if that were where their problems lie. "My younger brother can be quite... demanding, at times, but, enough of that... I think we have thoroughly combed Ellie here." He gestured to the white mare, before leading it back into its stall. He then took Caroline's comb and put it away with his before she could protest.

"Come now, I think it is time we returned to the house... After all, the servants must be running wild without you there to guide them." He said, a small smile playing around his features. They trekked down the path to the side of the estate, the moon shining high above their heads.

"Lord Elijah, if I may... if you tire of Lord Niklaus, then why do you continue to help him?" Caroline asked, curiosity once again getting the best of her.

"Try as I might to change it, he is my blood, and one does not simply betray blood." She nodded in agreement. "If I may ask you a question, Caroline... do you not tire of your blood? After all, not everyone is born into a family inheritance quite like yours..." She was surprised at the genuine curiosity in the lords tone. For a second, she considered lying, but, Elijah had been, well, _seemed_ to have been honest with her, so, she decided she may as well with him.

"Well, at times I do, m'lord. Most of my girlhood friends are being courted, some already married and with child, but... I... I will most certainly end up alone after my ten-year... Twenty-six is still of marrying age, but, for a woman, it is old... So, yes, at times I do tire of being a Forbes. But, then I think of the good that comes with my name. I serve vampires, but I also serve lords, and with that comes certain privileges. Though I am not wealthy by any means, I know that I will not grow hungry, and that is more than some people can say, m'lord." She explained, more in depth than she had intended.

There was a moment of silence, not unlike her own reaction to Elijah's words in the stable.

"Thank you for your honesty, Caroline."

"You are welcome, m'lord."

* * *

Caroline was glad she was able to have a conversation with Lord Elijah, it gave her some insight into what it must be like to be immortal. She herself could not imagine having the years seem endless in front of her.

There was, of course, an appeal to it... but, it must be such a lonely existence. She was subtly glad that the lord had his siblings, even if he did tire of them.

She was also glad the Lord Niklaus was not alone either.

* * *

Lord Niklaus and Lady Rebekah had arrived back at the estate in good spirits the following morning, even Lord Elijah seemed a little less melancholy. In fact, the entire household seemed in better moods. The cheerfulness of the place definitely helped with Caroline's nerves, at least, when she was summoned by Lord Niklaus.

She was outside the door of the parlour, on her way to him, when she heard tinkling laughter coming from the room. She stopped at the door. She knew she should probably just enter and make her presence known, but she knew that would also stop whatever was going on... and she was curious, and when Caroline Forbes got curious, common sense flew out the window.

So, she did the only thing she could; she eavesdropped.

"Oh, Nik! Thank you so much! Did I ever tell you are the best brother in the world?" Came the voice Caroline recognized as Lady Rebekah's.

"Yes, yes. I already gave you what you wanted Bekah, there is no need for your incessant coddling." Came Lord Niklaus' exasperated, but amused voice.

"Enjoy the coddling whilst it lasts, brother, we all know my good moods never stay long." Her reply sounded almost like a threat.

"Alright, alright. No need to get feisty on me, dear sister." There was a deep chuckle.

"Do shut it, you. Let me enjoy my happiness. Oh, I am so excited! I must begin planning immediately... Speaking of which, where is that blasted maid girl of yours?"

That was her cue, Caroline knocked politely on the large wooden door.

"Enter." Lord Niklaus commanded. Caroline followed his order, curtseying as she did so.

"Ah, good, there she is." Lady Rebakah stated, lips frowning in disdain. She stood next to her brother, who was seated in one of the many lavish sofas. She could practically feel his eyes on her, burning her with their intensity.

"You summoned me, m'lord?"

"Yes. In two weeks time my sister will be celebrating her birthday. We will be throwing a ball in her honour, and Rebekah has requested that I allow you to help her with the organization of it as her own manservant is... what was it again, Bekah?" Niklaus asked his sister, though his eyes remained on the human opposite him.

"Richard has no sense whatsoever of the more delicate arts." Lady Rebekah put in haughtily.

"Yes, that." Lord Niklaus nodded. "You are to help her in whatever way she needs, as long as keeping with your daily duties, understood?" Caroline met his eyes, and nodded slowly.

"Of course, m'lord." They gazed steadily at each other for another moment, before Lady Rebakah appeared next her at an unnatural speed.

"Well come on then! There are things to be done!" With that Lady Rebekah practically dragged her brother's human out of the parlour.

* * *

The last two weeks of party planning had been absolutely exhausting for Caroline. She had grown a new respect for her Uncle Richard. Lady Rebekah was, by far, the most demanding person she had ever met. Not to mention one of the most spoiled.

Caroline did not like her. Not one bit.

Still, she could have handled the party planning, if that was all she had to do, but, she still had her daily tasks to worry about. Not to mention the fact that Lord Niklaus seemed to be constantly watching her.

His eyes seemed to follow her everywhere she went, without fail. It was very unnerving and it made Caroline want to pull her hair out. She wondered what he was doing... Was he evaluating her skills in serving him? Was he waiting for to make a mistake? Or, worse, was he not watching her, but rather her neck, waiting for the right moment to pounce?

She knew she was being absolutely ridiculous... Even if Lord Niklaus _did_ want her blood, what use would he have of it? Surely he had other ways to feed himself, not to mention, if she died at his hands for no plausible reason, then he's have to wait another ten years for a new Forbes servant.

Still, it was beginning to drive poor Caroline crazy.

So, yes, she was feeling the stress, so much so that the night before the big event, she found herself without anything proper to wear. She didn't expect that she should be in attendance, in all honesty, she had thought that she could hide in her chambers, curled up with a book. Apparently, however, it was tradition to have the Forbes servants on hand, in case of a crisis, and not just on hand but also as hosts themselves, to help the Originals keep their guests entertained.

She was busily sifting through the chest at the end of her bed when a knock came at the door. _What would anyone be doing here at this hour_?

She opened the door, only to find one of the many household footmen standing there, with a rather large _thing_ in his hands.

"A package for you, miss." He said, handing her the now identified package.

"Thank you George." She replied, remembering his name. He nodded and left with a small bow. She carried the package to her bed, kicking the door closed behind her. There was a ribbon tied around it, with a parchment stuck under it.

She took the parchment out, reading her name on the front in elegant handwriting. Turning it around, she found a short message on the back.

"_I would have my maidservant dressed nicely for the festivities as a girl of her stature and beauty deserves. Save me a dance._

_Fondly, Klaus."_

Caroline stared.

_What. On. Earth?_

Quickly, she ripped open the package, exposing a beautiful flowing blue dress in its folds. She pulled it out, and held it in front of herself. She had never owned such an extravagance, but she knew that it would suit her perfectly.

An anger suddenly overcame her.

_How dare he? _Who does he think he is, dressing her as if she were his doll?

She had half a mind to return it.

But, unfortunately, the more sensible half of her mind told her that she needed something appropriate to wear tomorrow, unless she wanted to go dressed as a fish maid. And she had to go, it was required of her.

She would only wear it tomorrow, she decided. Then she would give it back.

_Yes, that's a good plan_.

Though, in the back of her mind, Caroline wondered just what she was getting herself into.

**That's it for now!**

**This chapter took me a really long time to write, I just couldn't seem get it out. I hope it turned out alright though.**

**Hopefully, Elijah didn't seem too OOC either. I've never written so much of him before so I hope he seemed like himself. **

**Also, I'd like to quickly add something before I sign off. In the beginning of the chapter I called Klaus the son of Mikael and Esther, which, as most of you probably know, is not strictly true. I just did like that because at this point Caroline and the rest of the Forbes clan do not know that Klaus is actually a hybrid. They are still under the impression that the sun and moon curse, **_**is**_** , in fact the sun and moon curse. But, no worries! There will be developments on that later on!**

**One last thing, I just realized that I am spending a lot more time in this time period than I originally wanted to, but I guess this story is turning into something bigger, BUT, I would like to say, it will, **_**eventually**_** get to modern-day Mystic Falls with the Elena, the Salvatores, and the rest of the gang.**

**Just so you have an inkling of where this will end up.**

**Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 17/08/12**


	5. Strange Stars

**Hey everyone! Here is the newest chapter :)**

**Now, before we begin, I would like to quickly address something that also came up in the last chapter about time periods. I would just like to say your reviews really helped me make a final decision about this, as I was kinda going back and forth on whether or not to extend this story into modern day Mystic Falls. **

**Here is my decision: I will, but I won't. Confusing, I know. Let me explain, I will be writing about them in Mystic Falls BUT I will only do it if I decide to write a sequel. This is because the story in 1550 has turned a lot bigger than I imagined and I want to play it out well, and not have it rushed, so I am going to be writing a full length story in****only this time period.**

**If that makes sense.**

**Oh and allow to just quickly say three things about the last episode of TVD (SPOILERS): 1) OMG KLAROLINE MOMENT! 2) Klaus please wake up! 3) GAH, Caroline why are you celebrating Klaus' death?**

**Sorry, just had to.**

**Before we move on, I'd like to once again thank everyone who added this to their story alert of favourite lists, you all are great. Also thank you to my reviewers: Laney-Dee, JuliaDelilah, iloverandyortonwwefan23, babyvfan, Clara, JT Jones, chiara, shadowfaxangel, SweetyK, santh13, The Lifeless girl, anon, BlueJean452, LoveandWinning, vampirefan14, peachx89, CKLover, InuGnome17, beadedheart, shay, klauslove, PsychVamp, and DGfleetfox. Thank you all, you guys all deserve many cyber cookies :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TVD… Or Klaus :(**

Chapter 4

Strange Stars

_London_, _England 1550_

Klaus prided himself over being exceptionally well prepared for any situation. Five hundred years had near perfected his foresight.

He wasn't sure how he didn't see _her_.

She was such a bright creature. _Strong_, he could tell. And she was human. _His _human.

Caroline.

Klaus didn't know why she caught his attention as she did. They had barely spoken more than a few words but when he had conversed with her, he noticed things. Like how she met his gaze right on, not showing any fear… and then how she would avoid his gaze as well, red dancing on her cheeks.

He noticed her around the estate too. He saw how she was constantly kind to the parlour maids or the grooms or the other household servants. He saw how she smiled when she saw her elder brother, and how her brow creased when Bekah asked something particularly big of her.

At first he had been hesitant to give into his little sister's request. She wanted to use _his_ maidservant. _Preposterous_, he had thought. But, Klaus could never refuse Bekah for long. It was the nature of their relationship he supposed. His sister and he stuck together. And noting the fact that she could throw pretty big temper tantrums may have had a say in his decision.

Being called the best big brother didn't hurt either.

He was glad he let Bekah have access to Caroline now. Seeing as he spent much of his day bothering little Becky and the other way around, he had the chance to observe the girl.

It was a very… informative experience.

Her reaction when she finally noticed his gaze on her was especially exquisite. She immediately turned her head away and Klaus could hear her heart beating faster. He also noticed her cheeks colouring a light red. He found it rather adorable, not that he would ever admit to it.

At first he was concerned about his new interest in the human girl, in his Caroline. But, Klaus was never one to be indecisive and after a day or two of contemplation, he knew what he had to do.

He would win her over. Make her truly _his_, in every way. _It shouldn't be too hard_, he thought, _I have ten years after all_. He smirked, _she would be a wonderful plaything_. A different part of his mind winced at his choice of words.

Little did he know that it would not be as simple as he had thought.

For now, however, he was content to observe her. He saw enough her to notice the fact that during all her planning she had forgotten to get herself measured for a ball gown. He immediately had his and Bekah's personal tailor fetched.

_After all_, _a beautiful woman needs a beautiful dress. _

Besides, balls always bring out the daring side of people, especially in ones who had never before attended such an event.

Klaus smirked even wider, _let the game begin my sweet_.

* * *

_It fits perfectly_, she thought. Caroline stared at her reflection in the tall looking glass. She barely recognized herself. In the glass she saw a porcelain-skinned woman whose blond curls floated over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes stared back happily, shimmering. She had rosy cheeks and a small smile on her face.

And the _dress_. It was magnificent. The light blue material suited her colouring wonderfully, and it met her curves in all the right places. Its long sleeves went down to her thumbs, a darker shade of blue satin lining them. The neckline was a little lower than she was used to, but still modest and the dress cinched tightly at her waist before flowing out to the floor. The bodice was embroidered with hundreds of tiny flowers in dark blue and silver.

All in all, the dress was simply divine and Caroline had no idea why Lord Niklaus would give her such a thing.

She didn't have time to ponder on such things, however, as she knew Lady Rebekah would not want to be kept waiting. She sighed slightly, slipping her feet into her most formal shoes, a pair of short cream boots. She knew it wasn't exactly ball appropriate but they were the best footwear she owned. She just hoped her new dress would be long enough to hide them.

* * *

Lady Rebekah was practically beaming in excitement when Caroline entered her chambers. She had been a little nervous to come to the Mikaelson family floor; she had only ever walked passed it up the floor to the attic where her own chambers were located.

She had known that the Lady's chambers would be as lovely as the rest of the estate, but the place still took her by surprise. Rebekah's rooms were huge. There were a total of four, a bedroom, a living space, a room just for her closet, and, of course, her bathroom. That was not really what surprised Caroline, it was the fact that everything was so light and airy that shocked her.

She just didn't associate the demanding, fierce Lady Rebekah with such _delicate _things.

Lady Rebakah was currently turning around, looking at herself in the gold-framed mirror. She looked impeccable as usual, but her smile was brighter than Caroline had seen, and more innocent. She was wearing a maroon dress, even more grand than Caroline's, but the human had the inkling that this was simply the vampire's style.

_Her shoes seem especially made for tonight_, Caroline noted with envy.

After one more twirl, Lady Rebekah finally acknowledged the maidservant.

"Ah, Caroline, there you are." She stated, eyeing the other girl curiously. She approached her as Caroline dropped into a low curtsy.

"M'lady." Standing straight once more, Caroline noticed Lady Rebekah was still staring at her. Or, to be more specific, her _shoes_. _So much for hiding them_.

"Hmm." Suddenly Rebekah turned and disappeared into one of the other rooms. The dress room, if Caroline was correct. A moment later, the Lady returned clutching a pair of delicate, white slippers. She held them out to the other girl, a sardonic smile on her face.

"Here, wear these." She said, still holding them to Caroline, who glanced at the slippers with shock.

"I-I couldn't possibly m'lady." She replied, flustered.

"Nonsense. I will not see such a lovely dress ruined by those atrocities." Rebekah stated and ignoring Caroline's protests, handed her the shoes. The other girl stood there, dumbstruck. "Go on, put them on." Rebekah urged with a small roll of her eyes.

Caroline immediately obeyed, switching the shoes. Lady Rebekah snapped her delicate fingers, and one of the maids waiting close by rushed to pick up the discarded boots. "Take those to Miss Caroline's chamber." She commanded, before looking back to the person in question. She gestured at her to turn, an analysing look in her eyes. Caroline did so.

Lady Rebekah _hmmed_ again, and called to some more maids. "Fetch me my jewel boxes."

A few minutes later the maids came rushing in carrying three large, wooden chests. They set them down and opened them. Caroline felt her eyes widen, mouth popping open slightly. All three were filled to the brim with jewels.

Lady Rebekah went rummaging through the largest chest, eventually pulling out a small silk bag. She immediately took out its contests, dropping them into her other hand.

"Didn't think I still had these…" She muttered, before approaching the still awestruck Caroline. She handed the human a pair of dangling sapphire earrings. The beautiful stones looked like tiny raindrops and as Rebekah gestured for Caroline to put them on, both were smiling in unexpected happiness.

"There, now you look like you can attend one of Rebekah Mikaelson's balls." Lady Rebekah stated as she had Caroline twirl for her once more.

"Thank you for your kindness, m'lady."

"Don't break them." Is all the other said in return. An awkward moment of silence followed, before Lady Rebekah interrupted it. "Oh Lord, the sun is already setting and my hair hasn't even been done! Not to mention, I have to pick out my jewels and… gah! Come, Caroline, you need to help me with my hair! And hurry!" Lady Rebekah let her demanding side return.

For once Caroline didn't mind it. Maybe the Lady wasn't entirely as she seemed, either.

Just like her brother.

* * *

Caroline wasn't nervous. Nope, she wasn't. She wouldn't _let_ herself be.

After Lady Rebekah had been satisfied with her own appearance, she had dismissed Caroline, who went straight to the kitchens, checking on the preparations. She met Robb there, and Uncle Richard, whom both let their jaws drop at the sight of her. Robb had jokingly stated that he would have to beat away the possible suitors with Uncle Richard nodding in agreement. Caroline had simply said she would have no time for suitors tonight.

After that little conversation, all three Forbes' went upstairs to welcome the guests.

Caroline hadn't seen so many people since she left her childhood home. It was rather intimidating, actually. All of their guests, _Rebekah's guests_, she corrected herself, were of high birth. Lords and ladies, and dukes and duchesses and then there she was; a simple city girl forced into a life of servitude.

She felt out of place, to say the least.

Still, the magic of the night got to her. The ballroom had been decked in splendour, candles lit and a small string orchestra playing beautiful tunes. The many guests danced, the women in lovely gowns made of the finest materials with men at their arms, looking on with hunger.

There was also a surprise guest, another Mikaelson, Lord Kol. His visit was unexpected, apparently the youngest Original brother was not as close to his siblings as the others and hadn't visited in near twenty years. Lady Rebekah had not greeted him as Caroline would have Robb. She had just looked at him cooly, and demanded to know what he was doing at _her_ ball.

"Dear sister, in case you have forgotten, I live here too." He had replied in an arrogant tone, walking off to a group of ladies. Lady Rebekah had rolled her eyes and stalked off.

Though the rest of the ball was a success, something, or rather, _someone_, was missing. Lord Niklaus had yet to arrive, a fact which bothered Caroline a little.

Even Lady Rebekah, who had every man in the room swooning at her feet, and every woman fawning over her, was annoyed at her brother's apparent disappearance. So much so that she had only a few moments previous ordered Caroline to go search for him.

Hence the nerves.

She exited the ballroom, searching. After scouring the ground floor, she knew she would have to up and look in his chambers.

And she would do just that, if she knew where his rooms were, that is. Caroline groaned to herself. She wished she could be back in the ballroom, after all, though Rebekah may have been the mastermind behind the ball, Caroline was the one who had to make it a reality. She thought she deserved to enjoy the result of her hard work.

Instead, she was off searching for her confusing, mysterious lord.

She wandered up the marble stairs and into the private area of the Originals. The first door to her right was the entrance to Lady Rebekah's quarters, she knew. That left her with five, no, _six_ other doors to look in.

She made her way to the first door. _Locked_. The next came with the same result. She tried the third, but was startled by a voice.

"Caroline, my dear, what _are _you doing up here?" She turned to face Lord Niklaus. _Why was it always him?_ She supposes she was lucky though; he found _her_.

"Lady Rebekah was worried you would not attend her birthday ball; she sent me to come looking for you, m'lord." She answered, not letting herself get flustered by him sneaking up on her.

"Always the impatient one." He replied, scanning Caroline, a look of admiration in his eyes. "You look _ravishing_ tonight, sweetheart." He came closer, grinning as she blushed lightly. _He has a nice smile_, she thought idly.

As Lord Niklaus stood there, still staring at her, she couldn't help but let her own eyes wander over him. His own clothes clung to him tightly, making it easy to see the muscles lining his form. He stood only a little taller than her, but enough so that she had to slightly crane her neck to look up at him when he was this close.

Their proximity was beginning to get to her so she cleared her throat, a little awkwardly. "Well, now that I have found you, Lord Niklaus, it seems my duty is done." She made to leave, but his hand stopped her, wrapping around her waist.

Caroline froze. She looked back to his face. He seemed to only realize what he had done a moment later, and let go of her quickly.

"Forgive me. I simply wanted to ask if you would do me the honour of letting me escort you back to the ballroom." He said, though he didn't look particularly apologetic. She was dumbstruck. _What was he doing now?_

The man utterly confused poor Caroline. One minute, he did not speak to her at all, and the next he was giving her expensive dresses and practically showering her with attention.

For a second, she wanted to refuse, simply because she knew that _he _would be shocked for once, however, her mother's words came to her mind; _never refuse them._ Well, she had already broken one rule and seemingly caught the lord's attention, maybe it would be best to stick to the rules from now on.

"Of course, Lord Niklaus." She said, still somewhat suspicious. He grinned at her like the cat ate the canary and offered his arm. She tentatively placed her hand on his elbow. If it was possible, his grin widened.

"Didn't I once tell you to not call me that. Lord Niklaus is such a bore to hear. So, just call me Klaus, if it please you." He said, looking sideways at her as they walked to the stairs.

"Yes… _Lord_ Klaus." She answered, teasingly. She didn't know why she felt she should tease him, but it just, sort of came out. She was momentarily mortified at her own presumptuousness when Lord Klaus chuckled again.

"And I thought my dear sister was cheeky. However, you take the cake, darling." This time Caroline joined in on his laughing; his good cheer was infectious.

She just hoped it lasted.

* * *

As they entered the ballroom, Caroline was glad to see that no one really noticed their arrival. They would think it a scandal; a man of such high status escorting a lowly servant. She may have been a well-trained, educated woman, but, when one was in servitude, it didn't gain a lot of respect.

"You must excuse me, Caroline, I have a birthday girl to visit." He removed her hand from his arm, only to kiss it. He was gone suddenly, leaving her quite flustered.

What a strange night this was turning out to be, and apparently there would be more strangeness to come as she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her.

"I wonder, what my brother would want with a human girl such as you." Lord Kol sneered, as Caroline whipped around to face him. "I mean, you are just _lovely_ to look at, but there dozens of other girls here to hold his eye. Maybe he just needs a snack." He commented. "Or maybe he wants good shag, before he drains you."

Caroline grew angry. That arrogant bastard! He just waltzes in, acting as if he owns the place. Well, technically, he _does_… but, still! That does not give him the right to go around harassing people.

"Well, m'lord, you wouldn't know anything about that now would you? You couldn't charm a woman to your bed even _if_ you _had_ a brain." She snapped. Lord Kol adopted an annoyed expression.

"Listen here, _girl_, I would be careful what you say next." He growled.

"Careful, _m'lord, _wouldn't want to reveal your true face here, now would you?" She mocked. "Though, it might be an improvement." This caused Lord Kol's face to redden in anger. The Lord prided himself over his looks, she knew, so that comment may not have been Caroline's brightest idea.

_What have you done, Caroline?_

* * *

Klaus was in a good mood when he left Caroline. She really was something different. _And she looked simply stunning_. He wished he hadn't had to leave her so soon, but he knew that if he made Bekah wait any longer he would have one angry little sister on his hands.

Speaking of little sisters, there she stood amidst a gaggle of human admirers. _Bekah does love attention_.

As he neared, said sister walked over to greet him.

"Nik! Where have you been? You're nearly two hours late!" She scolded, glaring at her older brother.

"Really, Bekah, you should be a little more grateful. Don't forget who gave you permission to throw this bloody ball." He said, voice lowering menacingly.

"Alright. Alright. Thank you, Nik." She ground out, still looking somewhat upset.

"Forgive me, little sister. You know how I get." His voice softened slightly.

"I have already forgiven you." She said with a smirk, quickly brightening. "Though, perhaps a gift may help your cause?"

"Of course." He pulled something out of his pant-pocket and handed it to her. "Happy birthday, Bekah. You are an old woman now." He smirked as she glared at him. In her hand she held a brass key.

"What is this for? The dungeons?" She asked, petulantly.

"You wound me, Bekah. I thought a trunk of new gowns would be a delightful birthday present. Alas, perhaps I should give them away to some of the maids." He said, mockingly.

"Thank you so much, Nik!" She squealed suddenly in very un-Bekah like way. Klaus frowned, he much preferred the tough Bekah. Still, seeing his sister happy was never a bad thing, so when she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the dance floor, he let her. "Come on, you promised me you would behave appropriately tonight and what better way to start that, then to dance with the birthday girl?"

"Fine, but just _one_." He warned.

Bekah chatted happily with him as they danced around the ballroom. Klaus let most of her chatter run through; honestly, girls could talk endlessly. He let his eyes wander, eventually spotting Caroline talking with… _Kol?_

_Why was he here?_

"Bekah… What is our brother doing here?" He asked lowly, interrupting her. She immediately huffed, annoyed.

"I don't know! But, I suppose he just wants to annoy me, as usual, showing up like a stupid lug at _my_ birthday ball."

"Don't worry, sister, we'll make sure he doesn't stay too long." He said, distracted. At the moment Klaus, couldn't really care about Bekah's ball, after all, Kol was talking to _his_ Caroline. He felt his anger rise. Caroline would _not_ be Kol's. "Now if you'll excuse me…" He left his sister without waiting for a reply, heading towards the pair.

He could barely hear what they were saying over the noise of the ballroom.

"…_Or maybe he wants good shag, before he drains you._" Klaus growled in annoyance at Kol's words. _How dare he speak like that to Caroline?_

"_Well, m'lord, you wouldn't know anything about that now would you? You couldn't charm a woman to your bed even _if_ you _had_ a brain_." Caroline's reply caused Klaus to stop for a moment, shocked. He broke into a loud guffaw, _she had spirit._

The guests around him looked at him strangely, but Klaus didn't notice and grinned like an idiot. He knew there was a reason he like Caroline. She was fierce and independent. Not at all like the other girls of today, who threw themselves at any suitable bachelor, looking for a husband.

"_Listen here, girl, I would be careful what you say next_." Klaus' laughter stopped at his brother's threat. His anger rose again as he started back towards them, going as fast as would seem human. _Damned ball_.

"_Careful, m'lord, wouldn't want to reveal your true face here, now would you? Though, it might be an improvement_." Klaus smirked a little at Caroline's wit. _Feisty, is she?_

His smirk didn't last, however, when he saw the look on his younger brother's face.

_I swear, if he attacks, he will never know the end of pain_.

Klaus' eyes narrowed in rage, face darkening.

The hunter was hungry.

* * *

_What have you done, Caroline? _ She thought, her own foolishness catching up to her.

"You really should not have said that." Lord Kol stated, eyes narrowing dangerously. She winced a little, expecting to come to blows, but then, out of nowhere, Lord Elijah stepped in.

"I wouldn't hurt her if I were you, brother. You know how Niklaus can get about his possesions." The elder Mikaelson stated, placing himself slightly in front of Caroline.

"Stay out of this Elijah." Kol growled.

"Think clearly, brother, do you really want to feel Klaus' wrath? She is his _Forbes_ servant. They only come once every ten years and Niklaus is not known for his patience." Elijah replied, raising a single eyebrow. Kol took this into consideration and growled, walking away.

"I don't know what came over me, m'lord. I should not have yelled at him, it was not my place. Forgive me." Caroline hung her head in shame now that she had calmed down.

_God! How stupid could I be? Mama had said to always remain polite and to hold my tongue, and, here I am, losing my bloody temper! She would be so disappointed. And now I have an Original upset with me. Clearly, I am losing my mind. Permanently._

What she did not expect though, was Elijah's low chuckling. She looked at him, questioning.

"Nothing to forgive, Caroline. Kol has never been one to hold back his unnecessary comments, and seeing him get outsmarted by anyone, especially a girl of only sixteen years, was well worth it." He stated, lips pulled up in tiniest of smiles. "I would be more careful though." His face turned suddenly serious. "There are times when I will not be around to calm down my siblings and we are all a volatile bunch. And, some are not so forgiving as others."

"I'll be more careful, m'lord." He nodded, in approval, excusing himself. As she watched Lord Elijah walk away, she noticed another Original headed towards and did he look _angry_. She gulped as Lord Klaus reached her.

"I leave you for a few minute and you already get into to trouble." He stated darkly.

"Forgive me, m'lord." She shifted nervously from foot to foot.

Klaus' anger melted away at her demureness and he then broke out into a smile. "Tell me, sweetheart, where have you been hiding that feistiness of yours?"

"You are not angry me?" Caroline asked, stunned.

"Angry at you? No… Angry at others? Yes. However, it is not every night I have such a beautiful woman to show off and I would like to take advantage of that." He held out his hand to her. "Now, I believe I asked you to save me a dance."

Leaving all sense behind, Caroline placed her hand in his.

* * *

Caroline let Lord Klaus lead her to the centre of the ballroom. He turned her slowly to face her and let go of her hand. They fell into their separate lines, beginning their dance. As they stepped forward her eyes locked with his and she felt the electricity between them. Their hands raised and went to each other's, almost touching. As they stepped together, they turned to the other side.

Caroline felt herself being sucked into his gaze, and the world around her seemed to fade away around her. They met each other again in the middle, hands raised, still not touching.

On and on they went, dancing around each other, each teasing the other with their proximity. Towards the end of the dance, Caroline almost yearned to finally be touched. She could tell Klaus must have been thinking something similar as his eyes were practically smouldering. As the orchestra drew the song to a close, Klaus finally made a move and gripped Caroline around the waist, bringing her flush to him.

The people around them clapped, but Caroline took no notice, getting used to her new position. Her hands were trapped between their bodies, outspread on his chest. She looked from them up to his face, not expecting for him to be so close. Their noses were almost touching and Caroline felt a blush rise to her cheeks, yet she didn't move. Her heart was beating like a hammer but she felt strangely comfortable in his arms. Even as the guests' clapping started to wane, neither moved away from the other.

She watched, fascinated as Lord Klaus took one of his hands from her waist and twirled one of her curls around his finger. He then lightly stroked her cheek and leaned forward a bit.

_What was he going to do? _She wondered.

What was _she_ doing?

She pulled back, moment broken, and fled.

* * *

Caroline breathed deeply as she reached the outside of the estate. She wrapped her hands tightly around herself, the chill of the night air getting through her dress. She looked around, relieved to notice that no one else was outside with her. _Lady Rebekah must truly be a great party planner to have all of her guests entertained_, Caroline thought randomly.

The fresh air cleared her muddled thoughts a bit as headed to the stables. She needed to think.

Entering the stables did little for the cold. However, as she was surrounded by the horses, Caroline felt herself calm down somewhat. She sat down on a bale of hay, uncaring on whether or not she ruined her dress.

She put her head in her hands, frustrated.

_What am I doing? First I let Lord Klaus notice me, then I have a conversation with Lord Elijah, then I borrow Lady Rebekah's things, then I yell at Lord Kol, and then I dance with Lord Klaus, who told me to call him Klaus and… and… _

_Have I learnt nothing? I was supposed to keep my distance, be a silent helper…_

_Now look at me. Pathetic._

Caroline was surprised to feel tears on her cheeks. She should be stronger than this, crying over a man, even if he was a 500 year old vampire lord. She wiped angrily at her tears, trying to stop them from flowing but they kept coming.

She felt suddenly overwhelmed by her emotions. The stress of the last three weeks was finally making itself known. She had just had to leave her family, not likely to see them for ten years. Yes, she had Robb, but she missed her little Laura greatly. Robb was almost a stranger to her, whereas she was as familiar with Laura as she was with herself. She missed her mother as well; Lucille always had good advice for her daughter. She even missed her serious father.

She felt a wracking sob go through her.

She was only sixteen years old, why was she here? Why should she have to abandon all that she knows?

She heard his footsteps, but didn't lift her head from her hands.

"Why do you cry?" Lord Klaus asked.

"Because it has been a long three weeks…" She answered, half-way honest. _I miss my family_, she wanted to say, _I don't know who I am here, and I don't know what you want from me._

"Is that all?" He asked, disbelieving.

Caroline shook her head, throat thick with tears. "Please, m'lord, I'd like to be alone." She pleaded, still not looking to him. She heard him come closer, and he lifted her chin, cradling her face with both hands. He used his thumbs to wipe at her tears.

"No." He said, gazing at her steadily.

"Why are you even here? What do you _want_ from me?" She asked desperately, not caring for manners and etiquette.

"I fancy you." Came his sincere answer; Caroline scoffed, turning her head away. "Is that so hard to believe?" He asked, eyebrow raising. He turned her head, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You are strong, Caroline, and full of light and it makes me want to _know _you. Why should I not fancy you?" He said, with a half-smile.

She sat there, speechless. Was this real? The silence between them was suddenly deafening.

"It is alright." Lord Klaus said after another moment of quiet. "You need not say anything." He stroked her cheek and leaned forward, placing a kiss to her forehead; Caroline closed her eyes, savouring his touch. "I suggest you get some rest, love." He said and when Caroline reopened her eyes, he was gone.

_What a strange night_.

**Well, that's it for now!**

**I hope the characters weren't too OOC, I knew they were a bit but this does take place almost five hundred years before the start of the show… Also, the Klaroline dance is roughly based on the dance between Elena and Damon in season 1 ;)**

**Sorry about the long A/N at the beginning of the chapter, I don't do that very often, though, so no worries!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the latest instalment!**

**Let me know what you think :)**

**RW**

******Edited - 17/08/12**


	6. Biting Pain

**Hi again, everyone!**

**I normally don't update so quickly, but this morning I noticed that I have reached one hundred reviews with this story :) And as a thank you to all you wonderful readers, I decided that I would finish and post this chapter for you early. I would never have had the courage to continue on this idea if it weren't for all of your support. So, from the bottom my heart, thank you.**

**I'd also, as always, like to thank those who fav'd or alerted this story. Also, a special shout out to the reviewers: restlesssoul21, Clara, poisonivy228, Laney-Dee, peachx89, xdorkMel, BlueJean452, aaef, PsychVamp, Vampfan3, SClover4520, klauslove, beverlie4055, DGfleetfox, slarya, KoffeeKath, beadedheart, and Kat7CA.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TVD, still trying to get over 3x21…**

Chapter 5

Biting Pain

_London, England 1550_

The days after the ball did not bode well for Caroline. She had been sleeping restlessly, constantly thinking, unable to shut off her thoughts. And all of her thoughts were focused on one thing, well, one _man._ Lord Klaus… and how he apparently _fancied _her.

The idea still seemed utterly unreal to Caroline. He was a five hundred year old vampire, _an Original_, and she was a sixteen year old Forbes girl in his service.

There was simply no way that he would have any amount of interest in her.

_He is just entertaining himself with my confusion and misery, _she kept thinking to herself.

But, then Caroline would think of the way he looked at her when she wandered the halls, the way he pulled her tightly to him as they danced, and how he gently cradled her face.

How could _that_ be a game?

And round and round her thoughts swirled. She was really beginning to wish she had been assigned to one of Lord Klaus' siblings.

However, her current confusion was not only because of her illustrious lord; Robb had also stoutly been giving her the silent treatment and she had no idea why. The dynamic of her and Robb's relationship had, of course, changed ever since her arrival at the estate. Four years of separation was bound to affect them. They had been very affectionate with each other, but their conversations had lost the depth they used to have.

And now, as her elder brother refused to acknowledge her, she didn't know how she should broach the topic with him.

It was frustrating her to no end.

At least she had yet to see much of Lord Klaus, she appreciated the distance he seemed to be giving her.

Still, she was beginning to feel rather lonely, if it were not for Lady Rebekah she was sure she would lose her sanity. Ever since the ball, the Lady Rebekah seemed to deem Caroline worthy, and would every now and again request her presence. Though she always insisted that she only wanted the human there to give her opinion on this gown, or this poem and such, Caroline thought that maybe the Original sister got lonely sometimes as well.

She had been keeping Lady Rebekah company only a moment before when she began her ascent to her own quarters. Night had fallen and she knew that her brother would soon retire to his own rooms; she knew her best chance to talk to him and ask what was wrong was when he came up to the attic.

When she reached the attic herself, she wasn't surprised to run into her uncle Richard, who sat at the small dining table that was between all the Forbes family rooms. It was here that all of the Forbes servants would have their meals.

Breakfasts were always the best; they were filled with laughter and constant conversation. That is, until Robb decided that the mature thing to do was to ignore her. Now, every time she made an effort to get something out of him, he would get up and walk away, leaving her with Uncle Richard, who, despite his best efforts, was unable to cheer up his young niece.

Uncle Richard was her father's youngest brother, well, half-brother to be entirely correct. After Caroline's grandmother had passed before she was even birthed, her grandfather remarried a young woman named Lila. They soon bore a son, their only child, and Caroline's uncle. Unfortunately, when he was born it had already been decided that his elder half-sister would be the child exempt from her ten-year.

So, on the eve of his sixteenth birthday he was sent to the service of Lady Rebekah, and he still served her faithfully twelve years later.

Caroline often wondered why Uncle Richard had passed her off as his replacement. He had completed his ten-year before Mary, so why would he not take the chance to leave? He was only twenty-eight, still of a suitable marrying age.

It was vexing, to be sure.

Not that Caroline wanted Richard to leave, she had never really had a chance to know him before, being only four when he started his ten-year. The fact that he was so young, however, made it easy for her to connect with him. He was more like another brother than an uncle and she got much more along with him than she had with Mary.

She could not say the same for her cousin John, Lord Kol's lackey. He was an almost carbon copy of his lord, cocky and impatient with no regard for manners. He was in the middle of his eighth year service and didn't cease to let her know of it. His arrival had not been welcome.

She was just glad that John did not deem Caroline important enough to talk to, or the rest of his family, and often ate alone in his chambers or was off chasing after the maids.

"Caroline, sunshine, are you preparing for bed?" Uncle Richard asked her, looking up from the book in his hands. He looked exhausted, as usual.

"Not yet Uncle. I would like to speak with Robb before I get my rest. What about you? You look as if you were about to keel over were it not for that chair." She said, seating herself beside him.

"I will get my rest soon enough, sunshine, but Lady Rebekah often summons me at strange hours, and she does not like to be kept waiting…" He stated, closing his book and putting it to the side.

"Lady Rebekah can take up a lot of one's time, I just wish she would give you some more time to yourself Uncle." Caroline's brow creased in concern.

"Do not worry yourself over your old uncle's wellbeing, I have long since learned to survive on little sleep." He said, teasingly ruffling her hair. She glared back at him, shoving his hands away from her already tangled hair. "Now, enough about me. You wanted to talk to your brother?" He questioned, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"Yes…" She looked at Richard, unsure whether or not she should elaborate. At his look of encouragement, she continued. "I just, I don't understand why he is so intent on ignoring my existence. I don't even know what I have done wrong, he has not spoken to me of his predicament…" She sighed, shaking her head a little. Uncle Richard reached forward to give her hand a quick squeeze.

"Then talking to Robb seems to be the best solution." He said, with twinkling eyes. "Besides, if I know anything of my nephew, it's that he truly cares for his family, especially for you sunshine. He will come around, sooner or later." Her uncle's bright smile caused Caroline's own lips to turn up.

The moment was broken by stomping from the stairs; Robb had arrived. He briefly glanced at the pair, before making his way to his bedroom, a scowl marring his features. Caroline sighed and stood, knowing she had better get this done. She leant forward and kissed her uncle's cheek.

"I'll see you on the morrow, Uncle." He nodded, and bid her goodnight.

* * *

Caroline entered her brother's room without knocking, knowing that he would not answer to her anyway. She spotted her brother angrily rummaging through the chest at the end of his bed. Silently, she closed the door behind her and gently tapped his shoulder.

He whipped around to face her, face flushed in anger. He narrowed his eyes at her and turned back around, still not breaking his vow of silence.

"You would still not speak to me?" She questioned sadly. _No reply_. "You know, I knew you to be petty, but I never thought you to be arrogant, brother, too good to converse with your own blood." She snapped, her own temper making an appearance.

"It is not a matter of arrogance, I simply do not wish to speak with you right now, _sister._" He stated lowly, not turning.

"Alright, yes, you need not speak to me, but, before you return to your silence, could you at least tell me why you are angry with me?" She asked, annoyance waning away to desperation. Her question caused the elder Forbes to whip back around.

"If you do not know why I am angry at you than, _clearly_, I was righteous in it." He ground out.

"Dear brother, what have I done to slight you so?" She felt tears filling her eyes. Robb's face softened at the sight of her tears; he hated to see his little sister upset but soon the anger returned. He would not break so easily.

"What have you done? What have you _done?_ You broke every rule you were ever taught, Caroline! Surely, you must realize that, or are you really so naïve that you think you are simply doing your duty?" He snarled, hands roughly gripping her shoulders.

"_What_ are you talking about?" She yelled, shaking him off of her.

"I'm talking of you and _Lord Klaus_!" He boomed, eyes narrowed accusingly.

"W-What?" Caroline was caught off guard, what did he mean her and Lord Klaus? Why would he be angry with her about that?

"You really don't realize, do you? You were _told_ since the day you could understand it to never catch their attention. To always be wary of them, and above all, to remember what they are! And, instead, you _dance_ with Lord Klaus, the most dangerous of all of them! Have you forgotten who you are, Caroline? Have you forgotten _what_ you are?" Robb exclaimed, running his hands through his hair.

"_That's_ what this is all about?" Her voice was incredulous.

"What did you think it was about? Do you think no one would notice the time you have spent together? The maids talk, you know. They say Lord Klaus has never shown such attention to any of those in his service, they say that you must be a pretty good shag to keep his eyes. Is that what you are now? A vampire's whore?"

The sound of a hard slap rang through the air. Robb held his stinging cheek in shock.

"You bastard." Caroline whispered, tears spilling over her cheeks. "How _dare _you? To think that you, of all people… That you, my brother, would presume so _little_ of me…" She shook her head, voice breaking. "You know how gossip spins out of control, why would even _believe _them? I am more a maiden than any of _them_. Lord! How could you think of me as such?"

"Because I _saw_ you… with that monster. You danced so close… too close. And then when you ran out, you looked upset so I went after you… Only to see him there holding you like one would hold a lover." Robb said strangely calm, eyes focused on her. "I didn't _want_ to believe them, but after what I saw, how could I not?"

"You could give me the benefit of the doubt, Robb. You are my big brother, surely, you owe me at least that much. You could have just _asked_ me what was going on!" She exclaimed. The elder Forbes had the sense to look somewhat ashamed and sat down heavily on his bed.

"You're right… I've been a fool." He said, head falling in his hands. Caroline felt her anger melt away, it was too much effort to keep up. She sat beside her sibling.

"You're _still_ a fool. Did you really think that I had forgotten my training? Wasn't one of our main lessons to never refuse them? So how could I do just that when Lord Klaus asked me for a dance?" She asked tiredly; all of this drama was becoming too much for her. She missed her simple life in the city.

"And what about in the stables?" Robb questioned, lifting his head from his hands to peek at his younger sister.

"The stables… Even _I'm_ not certain what happened in the stables. I was upset, and then he was there… But, I promise you, brother, I have never lied with him, or any man." She stated sincerely.

"I believe you." He nodded, and she sighed in relief. "And I am truly sorry for being so cruel to you, it was undeserved, could you ever find it in yourself to forgive me?" Tears had filled his own eyes, and Caroline sighed, reaching for his hand.

"I forgive you, Robb, I know you were just concerned for me. But, next time, just come talk to me. We used to share everything, remember?" His grip tightened on her and he pulled her forward into an embrace.

"I am so sorry, my sweet sister." He held onto her. "I love you so much, Caroline, I just don't want anything bad to happen to you." Caroline buried her head in his shoulder and nodded slowly. Their warm embrace lasted another few moments, when Robb pulled back. "But, Care, you can't really think he had honourable intentions for spending time with you?" Concern filled his eyes.

Caroline stayed strangely silent. She knew that he was dangerous, that he was a vampire and a powerful one at that, but she just couldn't believe that he was truly evil. There was something _human_ about him when he comforted her that night. He had been achingly gentle and genuinely _kind _to her.

"Surely, he isn't all evil?" She questioned tentatively, in a small voice.

"This time it is you who is the fool, Caroline." Robb stated. "He is an Original, they have no _humanity_, they cannot love. Even Lord Elijah, the most honourable amongst them is a murderer." He stood up, not letting her reply and pulled her up with him, dragging her towards the door.

"What? Where are you taking me?" Caroline demanding, tugging at her arm, but her brother's grip remained strong.

"I think it's time you witness something and see who the Mikaelsons truly are."

* * *

Robb had dragged Caroline to the ground floor and through the many winding halls. Caroline could vaguely tell that they were headed to the parlour, but it was hard to tell in the candlelight.

"Where are you taking me?" She demanded.

"Sh. Quiet. They'll hear." He whispered back, and began to slow his pace.

"Just at least tell me what we are doing?" Came Caroline's own whisper. They had reached a small doorway, the servants' entrance to the parlour, she realized. A curtain covered the other side of the doorway, blocking their view and Robb gestured her forward. She looked at him questioningly, but obeyed and moved the curtain a bit to see into the room beyond.

There, in one of the luxurious sofas, sat Lord Klaus and just in front of him stood his younger brother, the Lord Kol. _Ugh, not him again._ They were seemingly discussing something and her lord looked to be annoyed.

Caroline herself felt annoyed, why would Robb want her to see this? There was nothing going on. She was about to turn to him to express her thoughts, when Lord Kol walked out of the main door, only to return a moment later with a girl. He was guiding her towards his brother, who had stood from his seat. Lord Klaus looked curious.

As more words were exchanged, Caroline took the chance to observe the girl. _She's beautiful_, she thought and it was true. The girl was probably somewhat shorter than Caroline, but she was rather buxom. She had rich brown hair and an innocent face. Caroline also noticed that she looked dazed, like she didn't know why she was there, or _how_ she got there.

It took Caroline a moment to realize that the girl must compelled. A deep sense of foreboding set into her.

She watched quietly as Lord Kol gave Lord Klaus the girl's hand. Lord Klaus kissed it softly and stood straight, only to pull the girl closer. Caroline could tell he was saying something to her, and the girl seemed to get even more dazed. Then Lord Klaus' hands came up to cup her face, much like he had with Caroline a few days before.

She felt sick.

He let one of his hands drop, and slowly circled her in a predatory way. He left his other hand on her face, stroking her cheek as he leaned forward to give her neck a kiss. He then whispered something in the girl's ear that caused her to adopt a frightened expression.

Suddenly, the hand that had been gently stroking her face, pulled her head back savagely to fully expose her delicate neck, his other arm went to the girl's waist pulling her straight to him. Caroline watched in horrible fascination as his teeth extended into razor sharp fangs. The veins around his eyes darkened, blood filling the whites of his eyes. If Caroline hadn't been watching so intently, she would have missed Klaus' monstrous smirk as tore into the girl's throat.

To her disgust, Caroline stood frozen as the girl struggled and let out scream of pain. She could see the tears roll down the girl's cheeks as clawed at Klaus' arms. He simply held tighter, burying his fangs deeper into her neck. Eventually the girl grew weaker, and her arms fell away from Klaus. The screaming stopped and when the girl stopped moving completely, Klaus let go of her, her body thumping to the ground, neck at an awkward angle.

For a moment all Caroline could do was stare at the girl. Her expression was frozen in one of pain and her own blood had soaked the light green dress she wore, turning it black. _So young_.

Once she could take it no longer, her gaze returned to Lord Klaus. He stood over the body, vampire face still exposed to the world. Blood had stained his mouth and fangs, some of it dripping onto the carpet. Using his hand, he wiped at the blood and then licked it off his fingers with a satisfied look on his face. Lord Kol, who had been standing idly by, must have said something as they both chuckled in amusement.

When Klaus eventually retracted his fangs, and his eyes returned to their mesmerizing blue, Caroline did not feel wonder as she once did, instead she felt utter horror and fear.

_Monster_, her mind told her.

As the two brothers exited, they left the girl there, lying dead and violated.

Caroline finally broke free of her stillness and crumpled. She would have hit the floor had it not been for Robb, who caught her gently. She buried her head into his chest, turning away from the cruel sight and sobbed.

Caroline woke up in her own bed. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there. She couldn't remember anything but the sight of the girl lying dead on the floor of the parlour… and Lord Klaus drinking her blood through a savage wound to her throat.

But the worst of it was the way he had cupped the girl's face, every time she thought of it, it brought the memory of the way he had comforted her after the ball. Only now, it didn't bring a tender feeling to her heart, but one of grief.

_Robb was right, I am a fool. I had thought there was good within him, that he truly fancied me. Now I see I am simply a source of entertainment to him. Nothing more than a plaything. A servant_.

And that was it, wasn't it? The worst of it?

She was more grieved about the fact she was truly a servant to him than about the death of an innocent. That fact disgusted Caroline most of all. How could she be so petty?

Caroline suddenly felt the gravity of her situation. It was no longer that she would be spending ten years away from her family, but that she would be spending the next ten years with a killer.

_I will be a fool no longer_, she decided with quiet determination, _I will show him he cannot control me. I will show him I am fierce, that I am truly a Forbes._

_The time for the naïve little Caroline is over._

* * *

As Caroline made her way out of the bedroom with a new confidence, she felt the curious gazes of Robb and Uncle Richard. She knew they were worried about her, after all, she had just been witness to her first death, but she had simply smiled at them reassuringly and told them she was fine.

And she was. Fine.

As per usual, she began with her first task of the day; assignments and scheduling. The servants were rather shocked at Caroline's change in attitude. Instead of being soft-spoken and innately kind, she commanded.

She was not unkind, but she was not looking for approval all the time either. Tough, but still reasonable. It was a change, but not a bad one per se.

As the day continued Caroline did everything with speed and efficiency. Confidence was her new motto.

Still, she tried to avoid the parlour as much as possible, every time she passed it she saw the girl's face. She didn't even know her name or who her family was… Did they know she was gone? Was she missed?

Though most of Caroline wished she had known more about the girl, a part of her was relieved she didn't know a thing. It made her death less personal.

She had wanted to at least give her a proper burial though.

However, that was not to be, Robb had told her. It was the duty of the Forbes servant to clean up any mess made. Damage control. He told her that he, Uncle Richard, and John had been taking care of Lord Klaus' 'messes' since she had been here. Apparently it was a Forbes tradition. Whenever a new member of the family was bound to one of the Originals, they were given one to two months to adjust to their new settings before taking the full burden of being a ten-year servant.

Robb told her that the same was done to him and to Uncle Richard and the others.

He said they didn't want to expose her too soon, but now that she knew of this duty it would be hers to perform for Lord Klaus. This meant discreetly getting rid of bodies. No proper burials, Robb had said in a strange monotone, too much attention.

That was only time of the day that Caroline had felt her confidence waver.

How many did he kill? Would she always be called upon to take care of the mess?

Caroline shivered at the thought.

The day passed without any other wavering though, and when she went to give her daily report to Lord Klaus, she has built her confidence up like an impenetrable armour.

_He will not win_.

* * *

Coincidently, Lord Klaus had been in the parlour when Caroline went to give her report. He had been surprised, naturally, when she showed up as the last few days she had told her brother or uncle to update the lord, giving the excuse she was unwell.

The fact that _he_ was keeping his distance as well probably helped in his 'acceptance' of that.

When she had entered through the main door, Lord Klaus looked subtly pleased, a small grin on his face. He stood to greet her. _Just as he had done with the girl_. She curtsied lowly. He immediately took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing her hand, a self-assured smile on his face.

"M'lord." She said in monotone, unaffected by his display. He frowned a bit.

"Caroline, darling, come to give your update?" He questioned with a smirk.

"Of course, m'Lord Niklaus, such is my duty." She had decided to return to calling him Lord Niklaus, distancing herself from him. She immediately began listing the things he would wish to know about and showed him the updated ledgers. He looked rather uninterested in her report, too busty staring at her with his heavy gaze. Caroline had met his mesmerizing eyes only once, and though she felt their gravity, she didn't let herself melt. Instead, she kept her eyes on his chest.

She still felt him looking at her though.

Once she was done, Lord Klaus, once again lifted her chin to meet her eyes. _He is getting presumptuous._

"Now that we have finished our business, why do you not take a seat with me Caroline?" Though it was phrased a question, it was more a demand. Caroline wanted nothing more than to walk away but she remembered her teachings. _Never refuse them._

Oh she wouldn't refuse him. At least not obviously. He led her to one of the larger sofas, hand hovering at her waist. They sat side-by-side, close enough that Caroline could feel his heat. _Do not let him see what effect he has on you_.

"So, sweetheart, are feeling well?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Of course, m'Lord Niklaus." She answered as formally as possible. He frowned again.

"Did I not ask you to call me Klaus?"

"You did, m'lord." She said, not calling him Niklaus, but not calling him Klaus either. There was a silence as he stared at her, looking a little befuddled.

"You truly are a thing of beauty." He stated suddenly, smiling charmingly at her. He then raised a hand to stroke her face when she stiffened. He dropped his hand. "What is wrong, love? Are you still not well?" He teased. She didn't reply, only looked at him with a dull expression. "No blushes for me today, sweetheart?" He asked and, if Caroline could believe it, with a tone of what seemed like disappointment. After another moment of no reply, Klaus narrowed his eyes a little bit.

"Caroline, tell me what is wrong." He commanded.

"Nothing, m'lord." She said and it was the truth. Nothing was wrong, at least, not with _her._

"You lie." He said, accusingly. "You have not acted so cool since you have become my servant. What is wrong?" He demanded, once more.

"I'm afraid I only have the same answer for you, m'Lord Niklaus." She replied, unwavering. This time she could see the suspicion clear on his face. Suddenly, he was much closer to her, a hand on her arm. He caught her gaze.

"Tell me what is wrong, Caroline." He said in a low, soothing voice. For some reason Caroline could not look away and she felt her mouth opening, dazedly.

"I saw you kill that girl last night. How you ripped open her throat and fed of her blood. And how you laughed afterwards. Is that what you want me for?" He let go of her arm and she was released from his gaze.

It took her a moment to realize what she had said. It took her another moment to realize that she had forgotten to drink her vervain tea the last few days. Ever since the ball.

_He compelled me! That bastard!_

She whipped her head to look at him, glaring in utter hatred. She stood up, fists clenched.

"You compelled me! How could you?" She exclaimed, horrified.

"Simple, love. You were not forthcoming in your answers so I decided to make you tell me the truth." He said with a guarded look.

"That is your solution? Compulsion?" She backed away a bit. He simply looked at her. "You truly are a monster."

He suddenly stood, using his vampire speed to catch her as she tried to leave. "I don't remember dismissing you, love." He growled, menacingly. He whipped her around, holding the tops of her arms tightly. Caroline was sure that he would leave bruises. "You should be more grateful. I have been kind to you."

"So every kindness is to be awarded with undying loyalty? Is that it? Well, you already have mine, I'm bound to you. So why be kind to me at all?" Caroline let her mouth run, emotions exploding.

"Careful. You are treading in dangerous waters." He snarled, face close to hers. His grip tightened painfully and Caroline winced.

"Please, Klaus, let go of my arms. You're hurting me." She whimpered pathetically. _What happened to confidence?_ She supposed that left when she could practically feel her arms snapping, his grip was so tight. It took Klaus a moment to realize what she had said, and he let go of her, his face a mask of shock and shame.

As soon as he released her, Caroline rubbed at her arms, eyes cast down. She turned, walking slowly to the door without another word.

"Caroline!" Came Lord Klaus' pleading voice.

"Please, m'lord, if you meant what you said the other night, then let me go. I need to think. Away from you." She said quietly, knowing that he would hear her. Without waiting for an answer she left her lord, who was standing in the centre of the room in shock and pain.

* * *

When Caroline exited the door, she ran. She didn't know where she was going, but all she knew was that she needed to get far away from that room. She hurried through the halls, unseeing as her eyes filled with tears.

_Do not cry. You will not cry. He does not affect you. Do not let him affect you_.

Her chain of thoughts ended abruptly when she crashed into another body and she nearly fell, if it were not for the hands catching her.

As she looked up to thank her saviour, her heart stopped.

Lord Kol was looking down at her with a wicked smirk.

She suddenly wished Lord Klaus had not been so willing to let her go.

**That's it! **

**I didn't really want to make them fight and all that but I thought that Caroline needed a realistic idea of who she was dealing with. And Klaus is, at his core, a vampire, so I thought we needed to see a little of that before I could develop their relationship. **

**Next time, we get Klaus' side on things. Is he as evil as he seems?**

**The next chapter will probably be up next weekend.**

**Anyways, let me know what you think :)**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	7. Red Vengeance

**Hey everyone! As promised, chapter six!**

**Before we get to the chapter, I would just like to say a few things about 3x22, so if you have yet to see it, move on! Just three things: **

**1) Most emotional, fantastical, heartbreaking episode ever! This is what good TV is! More please!**

**2) They didn't kill Klaus, not really! WOOT WOOT! (JoMo better be back, though...) **

**3) Klaus is in Tyler's body. KLAUS is in TYLERS body. And Caroline said goodbye to Tyler, and kissed him... whilst Klaus was in Tyler's body... Indirect Klaroline moment! OMG! *cue fangirling***

**Sorry, couldn't help it. All I know now is that the next four months will be torture. TORTURE.**

**Anyways, again before we move on, I'd like to thank all my lovelies (hehe) out there who fav'd or subscribed to this story. You guys are awesome! And, of course, a shout out to my reviewers: fashionista-princess, Marie, lydiaayt, xTheUnforbiddenxs2, shadowfaxangel, Snowflake, mom2kids, Clara, Julia B, monnalisa, SincerelyTruly, PyschVamp, InuGnome17, AmethystLex67, babyvfan, jau0062, MysteryDream3, beverlie4055, DGfleetfox, BlueJean452, Kat7CA, santh13, LoveandWinning, xdorkMel, angle1725, musiclover8912, klauslove, Anna, slarya, cucumbre, Vampfan3, mea-kh, jennyjtd, beadedheart, and Lily94. You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: TVD does not belong to me, if it did Klaus would being wooing Caroline right this second. Right. This. Second.**

Chapter Six

Red Vengeance

_London, England_

Klaus held the charcoal lightly in his hand, letting it fly across the paper. The dark lines eventually evolved into a familiar face, Caroline's. He sighed and put down the parchment, dragging a hand through his hair. The girl would simply _not_ leave his thoughts.

Klaus knew she would have to be _his_. And soon. Otherwise he was afraid he would become distracted from his goal. Because that is all she was, a _distraction_, toy to be used at his leisure.

Or so he would continue to tell himself.

The candles in the parlour flickered as Klaus glanced at the drawings on the small table. Normally, he would be drawing in his own chambers, but Kol had insisted that he wait for him here. And, so he was here, waiting... for an _hour_.

Klaus growled in frustration. He did not _wait_. But, Bekah had convinced him to play nice with his younger brother, something about how she didn't want to get caught in their feuds again. The things he did for family. Honestly.

He examined his drawings. There were a few that he had managed to complete in the hour. There was one of the pond outside in the gardens, the peaceful bench the focal point. There was one of him and Rebekah when she was just a wisp of a girl, all gangly limbs and big blue eyes. Another was just a landscape that popped in his head. The last, of course, was Caroline.

She stared out at him, a small blush grazing her cheeks, eyes sparkling in amusement, not aware she was being watched. That was when Klaus liked her best, he decided, when she was doing some menial task, completely unaware of his attentions and just being herself.

Klaus groaned. Why did she seem to be everywhere? He quickly turned the drawing over and pushed it away from himself. Even when he had met Tatia he was not so obsessed. It was becoming bothersome.

When the 500-year-old vampire heard footsteps he almost sighed in relief, wanting to get his C-, the _girl_, off of his mind. A few seconds later, Kol sauntered into the parlour, smirking widely.

"There you are, _little_ brother, I was beginning to worry you got lost in this house, you haven't been for so _long_ after all." Klaus said, shifting his gaze on Kol, stretching his arms across either side of the sofa where he sat.

"Well, you see, my dear brother, I simply had to get a _bite_ from the kitchen. The maid really was delicious." Kol sat in the small armchair across from Klaus, whom glowered in return.

"You should know by now not to keep me waiting. It isn't good for your health." He said quietly, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Relax, Klaus. I meant no offense." The younger of the two made placating gesture. He then reached forward for the bottle of whiskey on the table and poured them both a glass, handing one to his brother. Kol raised his glass for a moment, before gulping it down in one go and placing the glass back down.

"What's this?" He asked, taking Klaus' drawings and flipping through them. He stopped at the last one and snorted, annoyed. "What is so special about this bloody girl that you feel the need to draw her? Do not mistake me, she is nice to look at and smells intoxicating, but she seems a bit dull, if you get my meaning." Klaus snatched the pictures back.

"Enough with the pointless chatter." He snarled. "You demanded my presence for a reason, did you not? I'm starting to think that whatever you wanted to tell me was not of import."

"Always so sensitive." Kol sighed. Suddenly Klaus blurred across to his brother, dragging him from the armchair and across the room and slamming him into the wall, hand tightly gripping his throat.

He squeezed, eyes flashing.

"You are beginning to bore me, _little_ brother. Did your time away make you forget that you do not want me to get bored?" He smirked gruesomely as Kol tried to reply. He suddenly let him drop, body thumping to the floor. A second later, Klaus was back in his sofa, sipping at his whiskey casually.

Klaus looked back to Kol. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Kol stood up, straightening his clothes and cleared his throat, he came to stand before his brother.

"Yes, well. I discovered something in one of my adventures to the kitchen this morn." He stated.

There was a moment of silence and Klaus gestured for him to continue. "It was interesting. I had been there many times before but there seemed to be a new addition to the kitchen girls, and this one I _know_ I would've noticed. I observed her, curious, and she seemed a little _too_ aware of what was going. Naturally, I followed her, after all, I am nothing if not cautious." Klaus' glance at his brother was enough to let the other that he didn't believe a word of _that._"As it turns out, she had many queries about this house... and about us." At this, Klaus looked up Kol, catching the meaning under his words.

"She was a spy." He said, not even bothering to form his statement in a question, his annoyance rising.

"Not _was_, _is_. I have yet to get rid of her. I thought you might like to get a word with her after I finished compelling the answers out of her. In fact, she is waiting for you." Suddenly, Kol turned around and left, returning a moment later holding the hand of a dazed young girl. The girl was pretty, if you liked dark hair and lots of curves. She was young too, Klaus noted. As his brother approached, Klaus smirked. _This would be fun_.

"Seems that one of our enemies thought it would be smart to place a mole in your midst, and decided to compel the girl to infiltrate your household. It's too bad the vampire never told the girl his name, though. Rather disappointing." Kol stated as he gave Klaus the girl's hand. He gripped it, and leaned forward to drop a light kiss on it, inhaling the scent of her blood as he did so. _Oh, yes, this was, indeed, going to be fun_.

As he rose, Klaus pulled the girl to him. "I suppose I could let you go, compel you to forget." He whispered to her as he let his pupils dilate. "But, what would be the fun in that? Besides, I don't like spies..." Klaus' voice took on a dreamy quality, his compulsion making its way to her mind. "You will stay here, you will not attempt to run." He cupped the girl's face, his fingers becoming a cage, holding her in place. "You are a pretty one, aren't you? He circled her, until he stood directly behind her, hand stroking her cheek. He kissed her smooth neck once, feeling the blood thrum through her veins. "Your master made a mistake to send you, the pretty ones don't last very long in this house, and, between the two of us, I have more of a liking to blondes." He then leaned forward, to whisper in the girl's ear. "Feel free to scream, there is no one here to help you."

Klaus suddenly pulled the girls head back, exposing her throat, and pulled her tightly to him. He felt his fangs extended and smirked in anticipation right before he tore into her throat. The warm blood pooled in his mouth, spicy and sweet, and he shivered in pleasure as she screamed. He drank greedily, barely feeling her hands clawing at him. When the blood began to dry, he let go, watching her body as it fell.

He wiped his face with his hand, licking the blood away from his fingers.

"She really took your last request to heart." Kol stated, bemused, causing his brother to chuckle.

Klaus felt his fangs retract, eyes turning back to their usual color.

"That she did." Klaus replied as he made his way to the door, the younger Mikaelson following him.

"I told you it would be worth it. Even if you did have to lower yourself and wait... well, actually, you already did that, didn't you? Dancing with that insufferable Forbes girl." Kol stated with a slight sneer. Klaus stopped suddenly and turned, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I have to admit, the girl was worth it." He said with a lick of his lips. "But, should you ever speak of Caroline as such again, or _ever_ touch her, I will rip your head from your shoulders." Klaus' grip tightened painfully for a moment, before he walked off, leaving a stunned Kol in his wake.

The elder Mikaelson smiled suddenly; perhaps waiting was not always such a bad thing.

* * *

Klaus was once again in the parlour when he got a surprise visitor. Caroline had finally come to see him, after nearly five days of avoidance. At first when Klaus saw nothing of his maidservant, he had been tempted to force her to spend time around him, but, for once, the more logical side of his mind won over. If he wanted Caroline to be _his_, truly _his_, then maybe a little lenience would be needed. A false sense of freedom, you could say. So he had let her have time to herself. That's why, when she came to give her report on the conditions of his household, he had been pleasantly surprised.

As she entered through the main door and made her way to him, he stood in greeting. She curtsied in return and he took her soft, delicate hand, kissing it.

"M'lord." She stated. Her tone caught him off guard for a moment, he frowned, but let the moment pass.

"Caroline, darling, come to give your report?" He questioned, smirking.

"Of course, m'Lord Niklaus, such is my duty." He was confused, for a moment. _Lord__Niklaus?_ He didn't have to ponder this new development, however, as she began her report. For the most part, he simply let her words go through him, not really listening. All this household business was rather a bore. Instead, he entertained himself with observing the blonde girl. As she showed him the ledgers, he examined her. She looked tired today, as if sleep could not come to her the night before, but to him, she was still beautiful. As she finished, Klaus found himself lifting her chin to meet his gaze.

"Now that we have finished our business, why don't you take a seat with me Caroline?" He led her to one of the larger sofas, hand hovering at her waist. He was tempted to simply pull her to him, as he had when they danced, but thought the better of it. He was a gentleman, after all. She sat demurely be his side, not looking his way.

"So, sweetheart, are you feeling well?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Of course, m'Lord Niklaus." She answered as formally as possible. He frowned again. Why was she suddenly calling him Niklaus again?

"Did I not ask you to call me Klaus?"

"You did, m'lord." She said, not calling him Niklaus, but not calling him Klaus either. There was a silence as he stared at her, a little befuddled. _What is she thinking?_

"You truly are a thing of beauty." He stated suddenly, smiling charmingly at her, trying to get her to respond as she usually would. She didn't blush or get flustered as she normally did. He then raised a hand to stroke her face when she stiffened. He dropped his hand. "What is wrong, love? Are you still not well?" He teased. She didn't reply, only looked at him with a dull expression. "No blushes for me today, sweetheart?" He asked, disappointed. She didn't answer. Frowning, he grew worried.

"Caroline, tell me what is wrong." He commanded, getting impatient with her treatment of him.

"Nothing, m'lord."

"You lie." He said, accusingly. "You have not acted so cool since you have become my servant. What is wrong?" He demanded, once more. _Caroline, why do you turn from me now?_

"I'm afraid I only have the same answer for you, m'Lord Niklaus." He narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he was much closer to her, a hand on her arm. He caught her gaze.

"Tell me what is wrong, Caroline." He said in a low, soothing voice, pupils dilating. He could see Caroline get a dazed look on her face, and for a moment he thought of the girl from yesterday and how he killed her without a thought. For some reason, he felt disgust at the thought of Caroline being treated in such a manner. He shut down his feelings. _She is just a human. I do not care for humans.__I cannot care for humans_.

"I saw you kill that girl last night. How you ripped open her throat and fed off her blood. And how you laughed afterwards. Is that what you want me for?" He let go of her arm, shocked, and she was released from his gaze. He released her from his compulsion, suddenly filled with nervous anticipation. _She saw that?_ Well, that certainly put a kink in his plans.

"You compelled me! How could you?" She exclaimed, horrified, as she came back to herself.

"Simple, love. You were not forthcoming in your answers so I decided to make you tell me the truth." He said, guardedly, not letting his emotions show.

"That is your solution? Compulsion?" She backed away a bit. He simply looked at her, he couldn't deny it. "You truly are a monster."

He suddenly stood, using his vampire speed to catch her as she tried to leave. He was angry, how dare she presume to know him? "I don't remember dismissing you, love." He growled, menacingly. He whipped her around, holding the tops of her arms tightly. "You should be more grateful. I have been kind to you." He felt betrayed, heart constricting painfully.

"So every kindness is to be awarded with undying loyalty? Is that it? Well, you already have mine, I'm bound to you. So why be kind to me at all?" Caroline snapped at him.

"Careful. You are treading in dangerous waters." He snarled, face close to hers. His grip tightened. He wanted to shake her, to make her stop looking at him like that. Like he was nothing more than a monster… It reminded him of how his mother had looked at him, of how Finn had looked at him, and how his father, no, _Mikael_, had looked at him; he would not let her look at him like that as well.

"Please, Klaus, let go of my arms. You're hurting me." Klaus had nearly missed her whimper, so caught in his anger. He suddenly let go of her, and glanced at his shaking hands in disbelief, before looking back to Caroline, who was looking away from him, rubbing the tops of her arms.

_I-I didn't mean to… why…?_

She turned to walk, away. "Caroline!" Klaus' pleaded, his voice coming back to him, reaching to her. _I won't let her leave like this, maybe if I explain…_

"Please, m'lord, if you meant what you said the other night, then let me go. I need to think. Away from you." She said quietly, under her breath, not even looking his way. He clenched his hand, and dropped his raised arm. As she left, he didn't make a move to her, letting her leave, just as she had requested.

_What have you done?_

It was then that he realized that this was the first time she had called him simply by his name. Only she hadn't called him that out of affection, but fear.

Klaus frowned and turned away from the door.

* * *

Caroline looked up in shock to see Lord Kol smirking wickedly at her. She backed away a little as but as she backed up, Lord Kol followed her, staying unnecessarily close. Her back hit the wall and Caroline swore her heart stopped. The vampire stood in front of her, dangerous glint in his eyes. He was so close; she could feel the rise and fall of his chest. _Do vampires actually need to breathe?_ She wondered idly.

He raised a hand, and gripped the top of her arm tightly, much like Lord Niklaus had moments before. She hissed in pain as the agonizing throbbing increased. She was about to protest when Lord Kol stopped squeezing and, instead, stroked her arm.

"It seems you have lost my brother's favour, Caroline." He smiled lightly as if amused by her current predicament. His hand went higher and tugged on one of her blond curls. Caroline shivered, and pressed herself further into the wall behind her. "It was not such a big surprise, though, Nik tends to bore easily of his playthings."

Caroline glared at him, hating him for confirming what she had already thought. She was nothing but a toy, a slave to Klaus' will.

"No smart remarks for me? Well, it seems you really _don't _have the Forbes fire." He mocked, as his stroked her cheek. "Pity, really, I rather like feisty women, though, at times they don't like me." He suddenly gripped her hair causing Caroline to gasp as she watched Lord Kol's face morph, fangs sharpening, eyes darkening. She stiffened, suddenly frightened.

"What are you doing?"

"And I thought the ten-year servants were supposed to clever. What does it seem I am doing?" He asked, fixing his terrifying eyes on hers. He leaned forward slowly, pushing her hair away from her neck.

Caroline stood frozen. This wasn't supposed to be happening. The _shouldn't_ be happening. There was a deal between their families, if she was harmed without reason, and by one other than her master, the deal was void. Caroline felt Kol's breath on her neck.

"Y-you can't do this. You'll ruin the arrangement between our families." She whispered, trying to move herself away from him. Kol's arms came around her, hands placed on either side of the wall, effectively trapping her.

"I am well aware of the arrangement. I am not allowed to harm anyone of the Forbes family without provocation... But is it harm when the other participant is willing, I wonder?" His smirk was blinding.

"But I am not willing!" She exclaimed.

"True, but I could always compel you to be... " She looked at him in horrible shock. "Oh, don't seem so surprised sweet Caroline, I saw how Nik was able to compel you. You're off the vervain, foolish girl. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I have had a little Forbes blood..."

Caroline felt her panic rising, he was really going to do it. He was really going to bite her. Her worst nightmare was about to be reality.

"I'll scream."

"Then I'll compel you not to." He leaned forward once again.

"T-they'll still find out. Your brother will be able to smell my blood." She said, not actually sure if that was true. She wasn't even sure if he'd care.

"That may be, but you've lost his favour, remember?"

"You have other siblings as well, besides, what's to say I _haven't_ lost Lord Niklaus' favour, do you really want to risk his anger?" She asked, trying to stall. _I have to get out of here_.

To her surprise, Lord Kol backed away for a moment, considering her words. She was relieved when his vampiric face melted away.

"Then we'll just have to go somewhere where they won't be able to smell you."

Caroline didn't have time to react as his fist when flying towards her.

Her world went black.

* * *

Caroline groaned as she woke up, her head was throbbing. She opened her eyes slowly, lifting her aching head. Disoriented, she realized she wasn't in her bedroom as she expected. Blinking, she saw she wasn't lying down but was tied to a wooden chair, hands bound behind her. She looked around, panicking, but didn't see anything she recognized. She was in a small cabin, by the looks of it.

She tried to remember how she got here, but found all she could remember was Lord Kol's conversation with her, if you could call it that. And his fist. He knocked her down, she realized. No wonder her head ached so badly. Her jumbled thoughts came together and she struggled, trying to get out of her rope and wood prison. Nothing would budge and even if she wasn't weak from the knock to her head, she wouldn't have been able to get out. It didn't stop her from trying to escape, though.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." She snapped her head up in surprise, wincing as it increased the throbbing. Through her haze of pain she recognized her cousin, John.

"John, what is going on? Why I am here?" She questioned, groggily, still somewhat disoriented.

"You really shouldn't have angered m'Lord Kol." John stated, ignoring her queries. "He does not deal well with insult, cousin."

"Is that why I'm here?" John simply shrugged.

"Mayhap. But, who am I to say? I am simply the servant. You would do well to remember that you also only exist to serve." John wandered to the fireplace at the edge of the cabin, shoving some more wood into it. He suddenly looked at her curiously. "What made you think that you could insult him as you did?"

She shook her head. "I-I don't know. I suppose I didn't realize what they were really like... I was a fool." John snorted. "But, I still don't understand... surely, I didn't do him great offense. Why does he keep me here?"

"Didn't I just tell you I am not aware? You really aren't very sharp, are you?" He said, irritated. "I only heard him muttering about how good you smell." Caroline felt her panic bubbling up again. He still wanted to bite her? No, that couldn't happen. She wouldn't go through what that girl went through.

"John, you have to help me away from here." She tugged at her ropes once more. _No use_.

"Why would I do that?"

"B-Because we are family! We have the same blood!" She exclaimed incredulously.

"What is the matter of that? I won't get punished for _your _mistakes."

"So you're just going to let him kill me?"

"Lord Kol is no fool, he won't kill you, he'll simply teach you a lesson and return you to Lord Klaus... Compelled, of course."

"Don't you think they will notice I am gone? And what about the bond?"

"At best you absence will noted tomorrow at daybreak. Lord Kol will have you back by then. As for the bond, we are not far enough for it to be activated, though barely. Lord Klaus will not know anything." John sneered and before Caroline could ask another question or yell at him, she hadn't decided, he tied a piece of cloth around her mouth. "That's enough of your stupid questions. Night will be upon us soon enough, and with it will come Lord Kol."

* * *

Caroline had been sitting limply in her chair, trying to form some sort of escape plan. Hesitantly she tested her bonds again. _Nope, still no escape there_. She clenched her fists in frustration. _I have to get out of here!_ Tears filled her eyes. _Why is this happening to me?_ She shook herself in anger and grief, surprised to find that her chair wobbled.

She calmed herself, and tried again. The chair wobbled. She looked down and realized that the one of the front legs of the chair was a bit too short. It was the same leg her left ankle was tied to.

Suddenly, she felt hope. When she lived with her family, she had had a friend whose father was a woodworker. Oftentimes they would sit in his workshop, and the kindly man would explain to them all the important things of building reliable furniture. Once, he had been showing them how to construct a stable chair and he had said to them that the hardest and most important was making sure that all of the legs were of equal length. _If one leg is too short_, he had said, _and the chair then topples, it will likely break._

If the chair broke that would mean she could get her legs free!

Her hope was short-lived, however, when John made his presence known.

"Stop that ruckus." He said, from his perch at the small table. He was carefully carving an apple with a small knife, using the tip of it to place slices in his mouth. She glanced at him annoyed; she would never get away with him _here_, watching her like a hawk. _Damn it all! Why can't I just have one stroke of luck!_

It seems that for once, Caroline's prayers had been answered as the fire died out. John cursed and stabbed his knife into the table, getting up. He grabbed his cloak, and looked at her menacingly. "Do not move." Caroline was tempted to roll her eyes at the idiocy of his command, but decided against it. He soon left the cabin, muttering about firewood.

When he was gone Caroline let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She waited a few minutes, listening to his fading footsteps. The second she could no longer hear anything but the wind, she set to work. _Now's my chance!_ Taking a deep breath, she leaned hard to her right, before quickly leaning to the left. It didn't work.

_Gah! Come on! This has to work!_ Caroline took another moment, before once again leaning to her right and this time when she went to the left, she threw all her weight behind it. The chair toppled and Caroline felt herself falling in slow motion.

As she thumped to the floor, the chair splintered and broke and she heard a sickening crack.

"Ahh!" She screamed in pain as her body hit the floor. She glanced down and saw that her ankle was already getting swollen, sitting at an odd ankle. She must've broken it. The injury was worth it though; her legs were free. She moved them a bit to get free of the debris and almost cried out again when pain went shooting up her leg. She whimpered, but kept the noise down, knowing she was lucky that John hadn't already heard her.

Her hands were still bound behind her, but luckily John hadn't tied them to the chair, so she carefully brought them over the broken backrest. She lay there for a second, catching her breath. _I need my hands. I won't be able to support myself without them, not on this ankle. _She rolled over, hissing when she jarred her ankle, and used her shoulder to push herself up into a sitting position.

She glanced around and spotted the knife that John had conveniently left stuck in the table. _Perfect_.

She shimmied her way over to the wooden table as quickly as she could. _I just hope this will be quick enough_.

Reaching the table, she realized that she would have to get on her knees to get to the knife. She groaned through the cloth that was still tied around her mouth. Painfully, she got to her knees, tears of pain once again filling her eyes. She leaned forward precariously, and reached back with her arms. She winced when she accidently cut her palm on the knife, but she finally managed to get her hands around it. Quickly, Caroline sawed through the rope, sighing in relief when it broke. She ripped the cloth from her face, gasping.

Using the table, she made to stand up, only to fall right back down when she put weight on her right foot. _No, I cannot give up now. Get up Caroline. Come on! Get up!_

With a huff, Caroline managed to get on her feet. _Good_. _Now take a step_. She hesitantly put her foot forward, nearly collapsing again. She managed to stay upright though, and Caroline gave herself a mental pat on the shoulder.

Before she went to the door, she grabbed the small knife.

_Just to be safe._

But, deep down, Caroline knew it would make no difference either way.

* * *

Caroline winced when she stumbled over another stone. She was absolutely miserable, her foot ached like nothing she had ever experienced and her thin dress did nothing for the cold. She was sure she looked like a wild creature as well. Her once fine cream dress was stained with dirt, grass, and blood and was ripped in several places. Her hair was matted around her face and she could practically feel the grime sinking in her skin.

She leaned heavily against the tree she had been using for support. It was no use. She could still see the cabin and she knew that John would be back very soon. After all, how long does it take to cut firewood?

She sighed. _I need another plan_. She gave herself a moment to consider. She knew it would be impossible to make it back to the mansion in her current state, especially with someone on her tail. Besides, she wasn't even really sure _where _she was. Her best guess she was in the forest behind the estate.

She looked up, noticing the sun was setting. The estate was to the north. That much she knew. And the sun sets in the west, so at least she knew in what general direction her home, no, _Lord Niklaus'_ home was.

Suddenly she remembered John saying something about her bond to Lord Niklaus.

"_As for the bond, we are not far enough for it to be activated, though barely. Lord Klaus will not know anything..."_

No, but, Lord Klaus, _could_ know something. Caroline smiled in painful relief. She would bet everything she owned that she was closer to getting the spell activated then to the house. All she had to do was walk far enough to activate it.

The only problem was, would Lord Klaus even care enough to come and get her? _Maybe he'll think that I tried to escape and come after me in anger..._ Regardless, she didn't have a choice.

Sighing, Caroline turned and headed south.

Caroline wasn't sure how long she had been walking. It mustn't have been _too_ long, or John, or, worse, Lord Kol would have caught her by now. Still, it felt like hours had passed to Caroline. Either way, she couldn't tell. Night had fallen by now, and the only light that guided her way was the moon.

Using the trees, she pushed herself forward.

After another several moments of agonizing steps, Caroline suddenly felt as if she should go no farther.

It wasn't like she didn't _want_ to move, but, more like she _couldn't_. _This must be the boundary to activate the bond_, she thought. She'd have to get through.

Slowly, she pushed herself forward once again. Only this time, it was like she was moving through water. She couldn't breathe and her pain increased ten-fold. _Almost there... Almost... there..._ She gritted her teeth and with a scream, she broke through.

As she fell to the forest floor, she let out a hysterical laugh.

"I did it!" She exclaimed, breathlessly. "Not so stupid now, am I John?"

Caroline knew she was exhausted, every muscle in her body felt like it had been put in liquid fire. She also knew that she should keep on moving. She wasn't safe yet.

_Should get up...John... Lord Kol... Should... get... away... _

_Klaus..._

With that, Caroline's entire world went black once more, and this time, there was no moon to light her way.

**I know, another cliff hanger... No worries, though, next chapter will be up soon.**

**Next chapter won't have so much repetition as this one and will hopefully go somewhat faster. And we'll see some more Klaus action :D**

**Oh and before I sign off, is anyone else annoyed that the CW cancelled Secret Circle? It was just getting good!**

**Also, for those who are still wondering, this story will remain in this time period, HOWEVER, I will most likely write a sequel that will go through several more time periods, very briefly, and to modern day Mystic Falls.**

**Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**(Oh and BTW, sorry for all the grammar mistakes in the last chapter, I was in a rush when I posted it, but, if anyone wants I'll edit and repost it!) **

**RW**


	8. Whispered Dreams, Whispered Night

**Hey Everyone!**

**Before we get to the chapter, some people were wondering if there would be some Elijah/Caroline as a love triangle with Klaus/Caroline. To be honest, the thought hadn't really occurred to me, probably because Elijah and Caroline never really had that spark in the show, it was more Elijah/Elena than anything. I am not saying it won't happen, I am just saying it's not likely, at least not in this particular story. At least not when Caroline is still trying to figure out how she feels about Klaus. However, I do hope give some sort of close friendship... I hope that answers your questions :)**

**As always, I want to thank all you reviewers: jennat8, onceinalifetimechance, Cat, babyvfan, tip of the tongue, peachx89, Cat, arabella, shadowfaxangel, Clara, VolturiVixen, A True Dreamer (x3 :D), The Lifeless girl, PsychVamp, anniefred, Crow Skywalker, jj82, jennyjtd, catniphawthorne, sophie, amber, beverlie4055, slarya, SueMikaelson, Lily94, BlueJean452, anon, Gogirl, Vampfan3, anon, Ellana Salvatore, jau0062, Evalunna, ShayShay305, KahlanDarcy, epic sweetness712, SweetyK, KoffeeKath, klauslove, fefe95, misselizathornton, beadedheart, Anna, MysteryDream3, poisonivy228, LovelyLoveJP, and Starrgirlfish. Thank you all so much, you are truly an inspiration :D Also thanks to those who added the Lines That Lie Between to their favourite lists or their story alerts! You awesome people deserve much Klaroline induced happiness :D**

**Disclaimer: No TVD for me :(**

Chapter 7

Whispered Dreams, Whispered Night

_London, England 1550_

Klaus took another gulp of his whiskey, not even wincing at the burn it left in his throat. He stared at the blank piece of parchment lying on his desk.

For once, Klaus had nothing to draw.

He sighed his hundredth sigh that night, and stood, walking to one of the tall windows. He looked out at the grounds. From here, he could see passed the cultured fields, the pond, and the willow tree, and almost into the forest. It was a beautiful sight, and, in Klaus' opinion, his chambers held the best view in the entire house.

Caroline had not been to see him for the rest of that day. She was back to avoiding him, and the thought strangely pained Klaus.

Klaus had been busily contemplating his eternal life when he felt a sudden shock to his chest. It was only there for a moment, and Klaus looked down, confused. He brought a hand up to rub his chest.

The pain abruptly started again, only this time it was not only focused on Klaus' heart but his entire body. It was like there were a thousand knifes being stabbed in him, all at one go. He fell to his knees in agony, head spinning. For a moment he swore he saw a forest, green and dark. He felt himself looking down, and saw drops of blood on the muddy floor. He could barely hear a voice, sweet, tinkling and in pain.

_Klaus..._

The next second he was back in his body, blinking past his pain-induced haze. His ears were ringing and to his confusion he found himself in a kneeling position on the floor, both hands covering his ears. It took him another instant to realize that there was a pair of hands over his. He lifted his gaze to meet the concerned eyes of his sister and saw she was saying something to him, shaking him lightly.

"Nik! Nik? What's happening?" He could finally make her voice out.

"Bekah?" He croaked, befuddled. "What are you doing in here? And why are you in your sleepwear?" He questioned, still unsure of what just happened.

"Oh, thank God, you're alright. I heard you screaming..." She said, spontaneously embracing him in her relief. He patted her back awkwardly, not use to her strange behaviour. She pulled back a minute later, and returned her hands to his face. Klaus was surprised to see she had tears in her eyes, though she was doing her best to hide them. She tilted his head back and forth, examining him.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked. "Why were you screaming? I had thought..." She looked suddenly haunted, as if dark thoughts had passed through her mind. Klaus lifted his hands to hers, pulling them away from his face.

"I'm fine, sister." He said, squeezing her hands once. "It won't be that simple to be rid of me." He held onto her for a moment more before letting her hands fall. He then tried to stand only to stumble and fall back to his knees. He shook his head once, trying to get rid of the dizziness that threatened to take over.

_Do not be a weakling_.

A second after, he tried once again to get to his feet, surprised when he felt a pair strong hands pull him up, lifting Klaus' arm so it was placed across a pair of equally strong shoulders. He looked to his left, immediately recognizing who had helped him up.

"Elijah." He stated, causing his brother to glance at him as he helped him over to the armchair. Fuzzily, Klaus realized he must have been there the entire time. He felt a second pair of hands on his arm, and looked to his right to see Rebekah tugging them along to the chair.

Klaus collapsed in the soft pillows, annoyed at himself for his temporary weakness.

"Blood. I need blood. Now." Immediately Rebekah blurred out of the room, returning with a goblet. She handed it to her brother, who swallowed its contents quickly, grimacing slightly.

"You couldn't have brought me fresh blood? Maybe one of the serving girls would have made a willing donation." He stated, his voice already getting stronger.

"Don't complain, Nik. You should consider yourself to be lucky that I am even letting you command me at all." Came his sister's indignant reply.

"Let us not lose our focus." Elijah broke in, speaking for the first time. "Tell us what happened, Niklaus." Klaus took a moment to recollect his thoughts. _What had happened?_ It all came back to him in a rush. The excruciating pain. Collapsing. The forest. The _voice_.

It could all only mean one thing; _the bond._

_Caroline_.

"Niklaus?" Elijah questioned. Klaus looked up to his brother in silent, deadly anger.

"The binding spell. It's been activated."

There was a beat of silence.

Klaus abruptly stood up and blurred to his desk, throwing a trinket he had sitting there across the room. His siblings didn't flinch at his outburst, used to his temper.

"She would _dare_ to run from _me_?" He growled, menacingly.

"If I may, brother, Caroline does not seem the type to run from her duty. Or leave without permission." Elijah stated. Klaus, though seething, took this into regard. His brother held a point, however, this most likely changed after their little spat earlier on. Klaus paced, angrily. He would have to get her, of course, whether she ran or not. He would not tolerate her insolence. According to the agreement between their families, should the bond be broken by the human's hand, on an attempt to run, he would be free to punish that human however he wished.

Klaus was rather creative when it came to punishments. _How could she try to escape? I have been kind to her, and she repays me with disloyalty?_

_This is your own fault. _A smaller voice whispered in his mind. _You truly are a monster_, another, surprisingly familiar, female voice whispered.

"Rebekah, go fetch the other Forbes servants. Now."

"I am not your maid, Nik. Besides, as you so duly noticed, I am in my sleepwear, it would be improper-"

"I said now!" He growled, glaring at the blond girl. She scowled, but soon blurred away.

Rebekah returned with Robb and Richard soon thereafter, both of whom looked frazzled with sleep but were wide awake with apparent worry for their female family member.

"Go on, tell him what you told me." His sister said, pushing both the humans forward, whom immediately gave him a quick bow. They straightened, and the younger, Robb if he was correct, cleared his throat. He looked Klaus straight in the eye, much like Caroline would do.

"Lord Niklaus, as I told the Lady Rebekah, I have not seen my sister since this morning. Last I saw her she went to give you her report... Caroline would not run, m'lord, especially not without bidding me farewell first... She is smart enough to know her place and duty. She has not escaped you, I would swear my life on it." He stated, steadily, hands behind his back. Klaus met his gaze and saw the boy's sincerity... Still, the bond between siblings often blinded one to the other's flaws. He himself should know.

"What makes you so sure she would come to you? Maybe she thought the better of it and decided to leave without your knowledge." He said, subtly mocking.

"With all due respect, Lord Niklaus, I am her brother. She knows and trusts me. There is nothing that I would not do for her."

"Tell me, boy, if she were to ask you to, I don't know... _aid_ in her escape, would you do so?" Klaus questioned with barely concealed threat.

"Without a doubt, m'lord." Klaus snapped up his head, shooting a shocked glare at Robb. "Do not misunderstand me, m'lord, I would try to convince her otherwise first, however, I would aid her, if she so desired."

"So you would stray from your duty? You would betray us."

"No, m'lord. I am loyal to the Lord _Elijah_ above all." Robb said, stressing Elijah's name, as if saying, _you are not him_. Klaus approached the Forbes boy, standing close. He could see Elijah from the corner of his eyes, ready to break in if the situation called for it. His brother, always so predictably _honourable_. Klaus could tell that all those surrounding him thought he was going to pounce on Robb, instead he did the opposite, causing the rest to be startled in surprise.

"Well, good then." He said with a smirk, blurring back across the room, refilling his blood glass. He took a small sip and looked up to see a slack-jawed Robb. He had to admit, he held a small amount of respect for the boy; he knew the values of family and stood up for them, even though his own life could be on the line. It was stupid, yes, but enough to garner some of his respect. "And, you... did you have anything to tell me?" He directed his question to the other human in the room.

"No, m'lord. My nephew has told you all that we know of." Richard said, respectfully keeping his head bowed. Klaus nodded, feeling his anger melt away slowly. _What if what they claim is true? If Caroline did not break through the boundary of the bond of her own free will, then that means she was forced to do so... _His thoughts took an anxious turn. He looked to the humans again, before glancing at his siblings.

"Are there not three other Forbes servants?" He questioned, annoyed, eyebrow raised. Rebekah looked confused, whilst Elijah was stone-faced. The humans shared a glance. "Where is the last one, Kol's manservant?" He asked again. "Bekah? I thought I told you to fetch them _all_?"

"Richard and Robb were the only ones in the attic." Came her irritated reply. He shifted his eyes to the men in question.

"Where is the other of you?" Klaus snarled at them.

"We do not know, m'lord." Richard answered for the both of them. "We have not seen him since this morn..." A look of realization suddenly appeared on his tired face. "He left shortly after Caroline went to seek audience with you, m'lord. He has yet to return."

Everyone was silent for a beat.

"Speaking of, where is _Kol_?" Klaus looked to the four others expectantly. Hesitantly, Rebekah approached him.

"He was here when we heard your screams, Nik. I'm sure of it."

"I, too, saw him around that time, or perhaps briefly before, Niklaus." Elijah confirmed.

Again, a silence was sparked. Suddenly, Klaus threw his glass across the room, shattering it. Of course, _Kol._ He just _loved_ to cause trouble, but now he had gone too far.

"Come on, we have to find Caroline. Find her, and we'll find the other two, as well." He growled in anger, heading to the door, fuming, already planning what he would do to his idiotic brother should he have harmed his Caroline. _His?_ Klaus shook his head.

"Brother! You are still weakened from the bond, you must feed before you can find _anyone_." Said Elijah, as he grabbed his younger brother's shoulder. Klaus took a moment to consider, and nodded his head in unwilling consent.

"Fine. But I want to eat something proper. Preferably _pretty_ as well. And let's be quick about it. I was Kol to answer to _me_."

Secretly, Klaus wished his strength was back already so he could find his human and severely injure or maim his little brother.

Though he hoped Caroline was alright, he sincerely doubted it.

He just didn't know why the thought sent him nearly tumbling into despair.

* * *

Caroline opened her eyes, disoriented as she saw the branches of the trees above, barely outlined by the moonlight. She rolled from her side to her back, wincing as she felt pain all over her body. In the next second she realized just _where_ she was and _what_ she was doing there.

Quickly she scrambled up, trying not to cry out in pain, tears once again filling her eyes.

_When did you let yourself become so weak? _

_I have to keep moving._

Holding herself up against the trunk of a tree, she pushed herself several more steps, already feeling woozy and sick. She shook her head, trying to get rid of her illness.

_How long was I out? Is John close? Is Kol?_

_Is Lord Klaus?_

Caroline stumbled once again over a rock, nearly losing her footing. She let out a small, desperate sob. Clutching her stomach, she kept moving, but it was slow going.

_I will never get away at this rate... I've broken the boundary, surely he noticed?_

_There is nothing else I can do_, she admitted to herself. She stopped for a moment, leaning heavily against the rough bark of a log that had fallen across the forest floor. _What am I supposed to do?_

She let herself have a moment to think, to consider her options. Trying to ignore the state of agony she was in, Caroline knew she would not last much longer out here. It all depended on her lord.

_Caroline, you are a fool, did you really think he would help you?_

"Caroline! Where are you, cousin?" John's bellow made Caroline nearly fall from her perch. Her breathing came faster. _He found me_. Slowly, she crawled to the other side of the log, trying not to make too much noise. She quickly made her away across the greenery, not paying mind to her pain, heart pumping.

"Caroline! You won't get very far." Caroline stopped, whipped her head around, searching. His voice sounded closer. She limped into a sprint, running as fast and as quietly as she could.

"Wrong way, cousin." This time his voice came from the other side. Panicking, she turned the opposite way still running, breath coming fast. "Caroline!" John mocked, his voice again coming from a different direction.

Caroline flew through the forest, adrenaline pushing her on. One foot after another, she ran. _Come on. Come on._ She tripped over the root of a tree, causing her to go rolling down a hill. She twisted back up, letting out a pained whimper. She continued, by now completely lost. It didn't matter to her though, there was only one thought in her mind at that moment.

_Run. Get away. Run._

And that is exactly what she had planned to do, had it not been for the fact that the hem of her tattered dress got caught in some bushes. She fell to stop, collapsing to her side, yanking at the fabric. Eventually, she ripped it free, but when she shifted her gaze, she saw a pair of feet directly in front of her. Her heart stopped.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze up to a frighteningly face.

_Kol._

Caroline screamed.

* * *

None of Klaus' Forbes servants had ever activated the bond before. It happened only once, to Rebekah, but never to any of Mikaelson brothers. She had described it as a pull, one that could not be ignored or forgotten.

She didn't tell him that he would be able to feel _her _feelings, even if only dimly. Still, he could feel Caroline's fear in the back of his mind. He no longer doubted that she was in danger. _Running away from me would not cause this amount of fright. No, this fear is one of direct danger and pain. _

_I would know._

He blurred across the fields behind the manor, aware of the two speeding Originals following him. He closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the bond. It was almost like a pulsing chord connecting him to Caroline.

In sudden realization, he found they were heading to the old cabin in the woods; he was getting closer.

He heard a terrified scream; only the sound did not bring pleasure as it otherwise would. Maybe it was the fact that he knew who it belonged to that made him shudder. He snarled in anger in worry.

_I'm coming Caroline._

_I'll be there soon._

* * *

Kol blurred to Caroline, lifting her off the floor by her throat, cutting of her desperate screaming. Caroline clawed at his hands, trying to get some air as she choked. Kol growled in anger.

"For a human, you have caused me a lot of trouble, Caroline." He shook her hard, causing her head to go spinning whilst she was still unable to get any oxygen. "You think you could escape me, did you? I have to admit, using the bond was a daring move... I bet you didn't count on me finding out about it, though, huh? I knew what you did the second Nik collapsed. Not many things can bring down an Original, you see. Especially not my _dear_ brother." He rambled, crazed. He finally dropped Caroline unceremoniously, who immediately gasped for her breath. Her hands went her throat as she coughed. Lord Kol's hands then took her by the tops of her already bruised arms and slammed her into one of the trees, head close to hers.

"Your little plan failed my sweet Caroline. This won't be the way I planned, but I _will_ get what I came for." His fangs extended, sharpening to dangerous points. His eyes darkened as he smirked at her in anticipation. "Don't worry I'll be quick." Suddenly his voice took on a dreamy quality and Caroline was captured in his gaze. "You will not scream, but, please, be afraid."

Kol savagely moved her head to the side, exposing her creamy throat to the world. Caroline wanted to scream, to cry, or to make _some_ sort of noise but she couldn't. No matter what she tried, she just could not.

His fangs tore into her.

_No. No. Please no. Stop. Just stop._

_Please. Help me! Someone! Anyone!_

He bit deeper.

_Klaus._

_Klaus, where are you?_

A tear fell slowly from her blue eyes.

_Why do you leave me here, alone?_

* * *

Klaus felt Caroline's fear consume him completely. Something was wrong. Something was deathly wrong.

_Klaus. Why do you leave me here, alone?_ A sweet, despair-filled voice sounded in his head.

_Caroline_.

He ran faster.

* * *

Caroline felt her eyes drooping as the world around her became blurry. _Is this it? My last moment on this earth?_ Dully, she really wished it would not be. Lord Kol was still greedily drinking her blood, and with a pang she realized this was what it would have felt like for that girl in the parlour. Feebly, she tried to push him off of her. _I won't become her. I won't._

Suddenly, Kol's fangs were torn away from her neck, and he went flying back. She would have fallen were it not for the strong arms holding her up. She glanced to the face that belonged to the arms. Bright blue eyes filled with a strange mixture of fury and sympathy stared back at her.

"Klaus... m'lord..." She mumbled, recognizing him even in her stupor.

"Shh, love. It's going to be alright. It's me. You're safe." He said with surprising gentleness. Caroline smiled at him, idly. For some reason, she could not help but believe him; she was safe. She leaned into his chest and his arms tightened around her. Fuzzily, she hid her face in his embrace, letting the warm feeling of being cared for take away her pain.

She closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion overtake her.

* * *

Klaus gently laid Caroline against one of the many trees, pushing some of her matted hair behind her ears. She was in bad shape, but he did not have time to ponder her condition when he heard her attacker get back to his feet.

Klaus himself straightened and turned to face his brother, face like a stone wall. His fists were clenched by his sides.

"Did I not expressly say you were not to harm a hair on her head?" He asked in a low voice, head cocking dangerously. Kol shifted uneasily.

"I was not going to let her get away with insulting me, she should have known her place." He hissed, dark eyes meeting his brother's lighter ones.

"So you decide to take vengeance upon _my_ human. I knew you were a little thick in the head Kol, but I never thought you would be this stupid." He mocked, as his eyes narrowed in unbridled rage.

"You of all people should understand, Nik. You have always _loved_ your vengeance." Kol said as he looked around, as if trying to find his escape. _I don't think so, little brother._

"True. The top of my list was Katerina... But after what you have done, well, I would not be too surprised if you top even her." He smirked as Kol's face adopted an astonished expression.

"You are being ridiculous, Nik! All of this over one puny human! She is of no importance; her life span is but a mere fraction of ours... What would her death matter?" The younger Mikaelson asked, incredulous.

"She is one of the _Forbes_ servants, you fool. Should we spite their family, our arrangement is null and that family knows many of our secrets. What's to stop them from coming after us?" Klaus reprimanded with anger.

"They are nothing compared to us! Do you really think they would be able to _destroy_ us? You were the one who taught me that we are superior to them, to all those who are not us! And now you contradict yourself. Is it because of the girl? Don't tell me you have taken a fancy to her?" Kol yelled. There was no reply. Kol took a step back, a horrified realization on his face.

"No... This can't possibly..." Kol suddenly laughed disbelievingly. "My god. I was right. You _have_ taken a fancy to her. I knew you were capable of some absolutely _ludicrous_ things, Nik, but this... You have outdone yourself, brother." Kol's laughs became louder, harsher as he shook his head in disgust. "You would lower yourself so utterly."

Klaus had enough. How _dare_ Kol speak to him with such insolence? He abruptly snapped to his brother, standing right before him as he punched his hand into his chest, hand circling around his beating heart. Kol gasped in pain, standing stock still

"You really should learn to control your tongue, _little_ brother." Klaus whispered, his face beside Kol's, hand still in his chest. "Consider yourself lucky I did not bring a dagger. Otherwise I would have you rotting beside Finn." His hand tightened and Kol let out an agonized gurgle.

There was a whoosh as the other two Mikaelson siblings arrived. They stood still, watching the scene, when Elijah noticed Caroline lying against the tree. He quickly went to check her over, Rebekah following.

"I am going to drag this out long and painfully, my _dear_ brother. Perhaps you will finally learn your lesson about disobeying me." Klaus hissed in Kol's ear. His threats were interrupted by Elijah.

"Niklaus, she is not in a good way, she will fade if we do nothing." Elijah bellowed, causing Klaus to whip his head around. His elder brother's words rang true, Caroline seemed to have paled significantly since he placed her against the tree. He growled as he faced Kol once more.

"I know this won't kill you, but, hopefully, it will be very, _very_ painful." Klaus said as the veins around his eyes pulsed. He then tightened his hand impossibly more, squeezing Kol's heart, enjoying his yells of pain, until the organ finally popped, spilling his brother's blood all over his hand. Kol went limp, face frozen in agony.

Klaus yanked his blood-covered hand from Kol's chest, watching, face impassive, as his body fell limp to the ground.

"Sweet dreams, brother."

* * *

Klaus blurred quickly to where his siblings sat with Caroline. Both of them looked slightly shaken by Klaus' violent display with Kol, but neither seemed angry. He pushed them out of his way and immediately wished he had made Kol suffer more. He saw all the wounds he had not before. There were cuts all over her, and her wrists and legs had angry red rashes on them and he immediately knew that she had been tied down. Her ankle was also swollen in an unnatural way, obviously broken. The worst, though, was the bite mark marring her neck.

"What are you going to do with her, Nik?" Rebekah seemed oddly concerned for the other blonde girl. "No doctor will be able to heal her of her injuries." Klaus simply looked at her, before glancing back down to the girl in question. He remembered their argument from earlier that morning, how horrified she had been when he had taken her free will. In sudden decidedness, he lifted the hurt girl into his arms, holding her securely.

"We will leave _that_ up to her, sister. Elijah get Kol. We are leaving."

* * *

Caroline felt tired and extremely weak when she once again opened her eyes. She awoke to find herself lying in a large feather bed decked in soft cotton sheets. She glanced blurrily around the room; she did not recognize it. She felt her focus leave her though, as her eyes drooped.

"You're awake." Caroline immediately recognized Lord Klaus' voice. She glanced at him, in surprise and fear.

"Are you going to kill me, m'lord?" She questioned, voice shaking slightly.

"Why would I do that, Caroline?" He approached the bed, voice coloured with confusion.

"B-Because... t-the bond... I ran... though, not intentionally." She whispered looking away from him.

"And you think that calls for your death? Besides, you are already grievously injured... Do you think I would kill you _now_, when you are already down? Do you really think that low of me?" He leaned over her slightly.

"Yes." She answered without a waiver, once again meeting his gaze. He looked down, and, if she did not know better, Caroline would have thought that he was looking away in shame. He came closer, pulling away one of the thick blankets that covered her away slightly, checking her bite, she realized. It must have been bad as Lord Klaus hissed slightly.

"That looks bad." He put the blanket back into place. "My apologies. Had I known Kol would get so out of control, I would never have let you walk away from me... But, you are free of him now, Caroline. You are _free_." He stated, looking at her.

"No... I'm dying." She said, feeling the truth of her words. Her injuries were too severe. If she did not die of blood loss, it would be of infection. She would not survive. Tears flooded to her eyes. Lord Klaus, came closer, and sat down beside her, staring at her in what seemed to be pain.

"And I could let you... die. If you should so wish. If you _really_ believe that your existence means nothing... I have thought about it myself, once or twice over the centuries, truth be told." He leaned a little closer and she could see herself mirrored in his eyes. "But, I'll let you in on a little secret. There's a whole _world_ out there, waiting for you. Great cities and art and music." He touched her cheek gently and smiled a little. "Genuine beauty... and you can have _all_ of it. You can _live_ Caroline, all you have to do is ask."

Caroline was surprised at the honesty in his voice and the hope in his eyes. She had been prepared to leave this earth, but... his words sparked something in her. A tear spilled over her cheek.

"I don't want to die." She said, shakily. Lord Klaus blinked and his small smile returned. Reaching beside him, he took a small knife that had been on the bedside table and rolling up his sleeve, he cut a small line into his wrist. He then placed one hand behind her head and lifted her up gently, so she was leaning against him. His hand was rough and soft against her neck as Caroline looked into his blue eyes, wondering what he was thinking.

"There you go, sweetheart." He whispered. "Have at it." She looked at his wrist, considering, until she came to a final decision. She placed her mouth and his wrist and drank. She could feel the power of his blood running through her, rejuvenating her. Klaus leant his chin on the top her head as she closed her eyes.

"You will be alright, Caroline."

_It's me. You're safe._

**That's it! The last bit was partially off 3x11, which has one of my favourite scenes of all time in it :) And of course, there was some 3x21 in the mix as well.**

**I know I keep saying I'll move faster but it's proving to be much harder than I thought...**

**Next chapter: What will happen between Klaus and Caroline? Will there be some sparks? What is going to happen with Kol? And the bond? Stayed tuned :D**

**Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**RW**

**(P.S. Thank you all so much! Two hundred reviews! You guys are all fantastic!)**

**Edited - 18/08/12**


	9. Forever Falling

**Chapter 8 :)**

**I wanted to get this out here quickly because next week will be rather busy, so here you guys are! **

**One thing, I mentioned the whole thing about an Elijah/Caroline/Klaus love triangle and I just wanted to give you all an update; it's not going to happen. I just wrote out an outline for this story (haha, finally) and there just won't be any space for it. Also, I prefer a brother/sister type relationship between Elijah and Caroline, anyways.**

**Before we begin the chapter, I want to thank Cat, Anna, JaseiTVD, VolturiVixen, cookiehskull, babyvfan, Cryxtal, lily94, vampirefan14, CharmingWords23, SueMikaelson, beverlie4055, peachx89, PsychVamp, DGfleetfox, cucumbre, Love-it-away, onceinalifetimechance, jennat8, jennyjtd, jau0062, shadowfaxangel, meagainpauline (x3 :D), MysteryDream3, slarya, KoffeeKath, Vampfan3, Crow Skywalker, epic sweetness712, KahlanDarcy, amber, arabella, Amanda, InuGnome17, xTheUnforbiddenxs2, Ann, BlueJean452, Clara, ShayShay305, Evalunna, and TIMJEA, for reviewing. You are all fantastic, wonderful people :)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own TVD.**

Chapter 8

Forever Falling

_London, England 1550_

Klaus gently took his wrist from Caroline's mouth and immediately his skin began to sew together. He brushed some of Caroline's hair from her shoulder as she looked up at him drowsily; the bite mark was slowly fading. Her head was still against his chest and for a moment he would have sworn she brought herself closer to him.

Klaus could not remember the last time when someone other than his siblings had leant into him for comfort or friendship instead of pulling away in fright or disgust.

He heard her breath labour and eventually it evened out; she was asleep. Though he knew she was most likely exhausted from the day's events, Klaus could not help but wonder how she could fall asleep in the arms of a _monster_, as she herself had called him. He was so utterly relieved she had chosen to let him heal her, he wasn't sure why but the thought of losing her brought a sharp pain to his chest. His blood was powerful and he knew she would be all right now, she would just have to be careful for the next day and a half or so; Klaus got the feeling she did not want to turn into what _he _was.

_At least not yet_.

She was resting against him, blonde curls hanging in her face, wearing a modest white shift. The wounds were finally disappearing, though she was still rather pale. Klaus thought she couldn't be more beautiful.

Hesitantly, he carefully brought up a hand and lightly stroked her cheek with his thumb, daring push the golden curls behind her ears. He smiled a little as she shifted, unconsciously snuggling into him. He stared down at her young face. _She is still so innocent, so good. _

Meanwhile his hands were covered in blood, his soul a dark, twisted thing. Klaus frowned. He did not often think so much of the _meaning _of his existence, all he usually thought of was the fact that he didn't want it to end... He supposed that his conversation with Caroline brought up some strange thoughts.

He felt her shift again, only to see that she had brought her own delicate hand up to his chest where it was tangled tightly in the cloth of his coat.

Why would she hold onto him so tightly? And why did his dead heart race at the thought?

Abruptly, Klaus laid Caroline back down onto the bed. He had to get out of there. He could _not_ think so much of her. She was a mere human, a pawn to his plans. And she was his _servant_. He would not, _could_ not court her.

Wait a moment... Who said anything about _courting?_ Klaus growled to himself.

When did he become so trapped by trivial human conventions? When did he bring such lowly things as _sentiment_ back into his eternal life? He could not allow himself to grow weak.

Klaus Mikaelson was _not_ weak.

As he pulled away from Caroline the hand in his coat tightened its grip, trying to pull him closer. This stopped Klaus for a second. _She... She wants me here?_ He shook his head.

_What does it matter either way? She is nothing and will forever be nothing._

Klaus ripped himself from her and blurred himself away as quickly as he could.

* * *

_Caroline ran through the forest, tripping and stumbling about. She rounded around a large log that had fallen onto the floor, trying to find a way out of the mass of trees. For some reason she felt she should not stop moving. Someone was after her and she had to get away. She just had to._

_Again she rounded a log that was lying on the floor. A few minutes later she did it again and she realized she was running in a circle... Some part of her felt that this place she kept returning to was where her worst fear lay. _

_She ran again in the opposite direction..._

_... and ended up back in the same place._

_Why do I keep coming here?_

_Caroline wanted to get away, but suddenly she couldn't move anymore. She found herself standing stock still as she heard footsteps behind her. Fear clenched her heart._

_I need to get out of here. I need to leave. I need to be gone right now!_

_The footsteps came closer and slowly she found herself turning around. When her body stopped turning, so did the footsteps. She looked up to see a frighteningly familiar face, with fangs extended and eyes darker than blood, a smirk playing around his features._

"_Please be afraid." Kol said lowly._

_He blurred forward and Caroline felt a tearing pain in her neck-_

Caroline awoke with a small scream, gasping as she sat up. Her hand automatically flew to her neck and she was surprised when she didn't find a gaping wound there. She sighed in relief, and let her hand fall to her chest, trying to get her erratic breathing under control.

Once she felt as if she wasn't hyperventilating anymore, she raked a hand through her sweat-soaked hair, still a little frazzled from the horrible nightmare. Caroline was no stranger to night terrors; when she was younger she used to have them all the time. It became so bad that Robb used to sit with her, waiting for her fall back asleep, murmuring childish fairytales to her. She used to have dreams about creatures coming to you in the night, eating you up, only, unlike other little girls, she knew them to be real. Now, though, her dream wasn't just a possibility of what could happen; it was a memory.

It scared Caroline more than she was willing to admit.

Now that she came back to her senses, she realized she was in a relatively unfamiliar room. She was currently sitting in a large four poster bed with soft cotton sheets. The pillows were made of fine silk and the room was at a toasty temperature. Looking across, she could see the fireplace, the flames flowing and ebbing softly. There were a few paintings on the walls, beautiful pieces of art. One even looked an awful lot like the pond out in the gardens. There was an armchair by the large floor to ceilings windows, which had its curtains drawn.

Carefully, she crawled of bed, a little dizzy but also strangely buzzed. _Maybe it's Lord Klaus' blood_. She frowned a little.

Lord Klaus had given her his blood. And he had let her have a choice whether or not she wanted it anyway. She wasn't sure how she should feel about it all. A day ago she had _hated_ him. Hated him for killing that girl. Hated him for making her feel things she shouldn't.

And now? Now, she had no idea how to feel.

As she made her way to the windows, she noticed her lack of pain and glanced to her feet to see that her ankle was no longer broken. She smiled, relieved, she hated being bedridden for any reason. Opening the heavy curtains of the windows, Caroline was amazed at the view. It was utterly beautiful. She was so intently looking outside that she didn't notice someone entering the room.

"Nik does have quite the view, does he not?" A distinctly female voice said. Caroline immediately turned, recognizing it, and curtsied.

"M'Lady Rebekah, forgive me, I am not in proper wear." She said, head ducked.

"Oh, please. I am woman as well, no need to be so self conscious." Lady Rebekah snorted, walking briskly across the room to stand next to the human girl. The vampire glanced curiously at the other blonde. "I see Nik healed you... I'm glad. It's not always nice to be the only woman of any calibre in the house." She stated, abruptly looking the other way. Caroline looked at the other girl, an understanding look in her eyes. _Lady Rebekah is lonely. She has spent five hundred years with her brothers... But what must it to be like to have no female company?_ Caroline herself had spent most of her life surrounded by her mother and sister; she couldn't imagine not having another woman to talk to. For a moment she wanted to place her hand comfortingly on Lady Rebekah's arm, but decided against it, knowing the vampire tended to flip on a coin. They stood in silence for a moment or two, when Rebekah started to speak, a little longingly.

"I like to think Nik chose this estate because it reminds him of our childhood home... It's similar, you see, to our village. The forests were just as thick and beautiful as this one. Of course, we didn't live in a house like this at the time... It was more of a cabin really, a hut... But, it was a home. _Our_ home." Caroline listened closely; she had never heard anything about the human days of the Originals.

"Nik and I used to run around in the forest and play, sometimes Elijah would join us, but he was never one for childish games, my big brother. But, Nik and I, we would play until the sun set, and only then would we return home. Our father hated it. He hated that we were so close. He used to beat Nik senseless if we went out too late. I tried... I tried to tell him, it's not Nik's fault, I was just as much to blame as he, but Father would not hear of it, insisting that '_Niklaus had to learn his lesson'._ The first time it happened I was so scared... and not just because my brother was in pain, but I was afraid he would not want to look at me ever again... Yet Nik proved me wrong and the next day we went out to play again..." Caroline was surprised at the utter sadness in Lady Rebekah's voice, the regret and the longing. She herself felt her heart sink, how could a father could be so horrible to his son?

"As we got older we played less and less, but we would still walk together, sometimes. We don't do that much anymore." She whispered, still looking out the window. "Elijah doesn't talk to me much anymore, either..." This time Caroline did put her hand on Lady Rebekah's arm, she couldn't help it, the other blonde seemed so _heartbroken_. With a pang, Caroline realized that Rebekah must have been turned when she was only a year or so older than her. _To be stuck at that age forever... I would not want it._

Lady Rebekah turned to Caroline, as if surprised there was someone there, like she had forgotten that she was not alone. She looked at the hand on her arm, and then back to the girl. Caroline smiled a little at the vampire once more, before dropping her hand. They stood another moment, in silence, simply watching as the wind whipped through the tall trees of the forest. A second later, Lady Rebekah cleared her throat and turned to face the human girl.

"Come, we shouldn't dally in Nik's room and you need to get dressed for the day." Lady Rebekah turned to go. _Wait a minute, this is Lord Klaus' room? Which would mean that she had slept in his bed... _Suddenly, Caroline felt very embarrassed that it hadn't occurred to her. She had acted so presumptuously, practically prancing around his chambers half-naked. She shuddered at the thought.

She followed Lady Rebekah into the next room, stopping to look around. This room was also beautiful. A dark wooden desk took up one corner, bookcases lining the wall opposite. By the windows there was a table full of artwork, sketches, paintings. There was also a half-finished canvas standing on an easel.

_Did Lord Klaus do these?_

They were striking. All of them. Caroline longed to take a closer look but she stood back, knowing she had already over-stepped her boundaries plenty today. While she was leaving his chambers she had only one thought in her head.

_How can he be both a monster and create such stunning things? _

She wished she had the answers.

* * *

Caroline spent the rest of the morning among her family, in the Forbes chambers. Robb and Uncle Richard had been extremely worried about her, but when they asked her what happened, she found she could not answer. Eventually they had let it drop, happy she was ok. Lord Klaus had told them to tell her to take the day to rest.

She was slightly confused. Why did he suddenly not want to see her anymore? Yesterday he had saved her life, and today... She did not know what to think. Everything about him was vexing. One minute he was a cold killer, the next her saviour. She was afraid of him, for both obvious reasons and ones she thought would never apply to her. She was afraid of how he could make her feel. He made her hate, he made her curious about life, and he made her want passion...

She was afraid of what would become of her if she gave into him.

Finally, she left the Forbes chambers; she was beginning to feel smothered. She knew that Robb and her uncle meant well, but she needed space to think.

She knew where she had to go.

She went to the stables.

* * *

Caroline smiled as she looked at Ellie, the great white mare she found Lord Elijah grooming one day. She patted her snout, running her fingers through the soft white hair. Ellie whinnied in appreciation as she fed her an apple. _At least I know how to do this._ She felt peaceful here surrounded by these magnificent creatures.

"What do you think, Ellie? Do you think I am losing my sanity?" She asked the horse as she stared into its wide eyes. It snorted in what could have been agreement causing Caroline to giggle a little. "I suppose you're right, I have never had my sanity to begin with."

"She seems to have taken a like to you, Caroline." Came a deep voice from behind her, making Caroline turn to curtsy. Lord Elijah stood in the doorway of the stables, dark eyes on her.

"Good afternoon, m'lord." She said respectfully. Lord Elijah walked across to her, and stood beside Ellie, smirking at the creature as he stroked her large back.

"I see you are feeling better." He stated, not looking at her.

"Yes, m'lord." She answered immediately.

"That is good news, indeed. Your brother was rather distraught when you appeared to be missing."

"Robb is a bit of worrier, I'm afraid, Lord Elijah." She conceded, causing the lord to nod in agreement. They stood in silence a while, and Caroline was burning to ask him a question. Eventually she had no choice but to ask, she would have exploded had she not.

"I was curious, m'lord... What happened to the Lord Kol?" Her question was hesitant. Lord Elijah took a moment to answer.

"My younger brother has been... put down, for the moment. He will not bother you for a while yet, dear girl." He said, his tone a little lower than before.

"M'lord... I was wondering... May I ask something of you?" Caroline asked again, after a few minutes.

"Go on."

"Does Lord Klaus not care for me, m'lord?" She asked, letting the vulnerable question that had been in her mind all day out.

"My brother is... hard to understand. But, he does care for your existence, Caroline. I have not seen Niklaus so furious at Kol in a very long time, nor have I known him to save the life of one who is under his service. However, my brother does not deal with emotion very well, so it sometimes hard to see it in him." Lord Elijah replied, careful with his wording as he looked at her curiously.

"Oh... Thank you, m'lord."

"You are very welcome, Caroline."

* * *

Lord Elijah had left a few moments before, leaving Caroline alone to her thoughts, at last. She was sitting on a wooden box next to Ellie's stall, just wondering. _What am I supposed to do?_ She wished she had her mother here, or little Laura. It would do her good to have some feminine advice. She couldn't go to Lady Rebekah, after all, her brother was the source of her current predicament. Robb always shied away from talk of feelings and he didn't know Uncle Richard _that_ well. She sighed.

_I miss you Mama. _

As she was lost in thought, she did not realize that it had begun to rain. The storm picked up and she knew she had to get inside the house before it got too windy. Carefully, she wrapped her moss green cloak around her body and ran outside. The cold rain hit her hard, seeping through her clothes and into her skin. She made her way quickly through the muddy grass to the tall estate, trying not slip as she did so. A flash of lightning raced across the sky and she jumped. She hurried herself.

She almost slipped when an arm went around her waist. She looked up, for once not shocked to see Lord Klaus looking back down at her; He had a knack for appearing at unexpected moments. His hair was soaked, along with his clothes, but it seemed as if he wasn't at all cold whereas Caroline was shivering, cold to her bones. He was quick to take his own fur cloak off and swath it around her shoulders. As soon as she was buried in his cloak, his arm went around her waist again and he pulled her close, pushing her forward with him.

When it seemed as if they were getting nowhere fast, Lord Klaus' arm went from her waist to her neck, the other went behind her knees and swiped them from under her, catching her in his arms as she fell. In shock, her arms went quickly around his neck, her hands clutching the fabric of his soaked doublet. As soon as she was secure, Lord Klaus ran faster than she believed possible, so fast everything blurred. She quickly buried her face in his neck, beginning to feel ill at seeing the world move by her at such a speed. His arms tightened around her, almost as if he could feel her fright.

She did not move her face away until she could no longer feel the cold water drops hitting her skin. Slowly, she moved her head from him, only to be instantly caught in his blue-eyed gaze. His wet hair hung tightly around his face; his eyelashes caught some drops of water in them. She could not tear away her eyes. It was only when she realized that he was still holding her like a baby that she came to herself. Instantly, she kicked herself out of his grasp and she must have taken him by surprise for he dropped and she hit the ground with an '_oof!'_

Immediately, though, he bent down and grasped her by the elbow, pulling her back up. As soon as she was upright, she yanked her arm from him and stepped back. They stood there for a while, in some sort of stalemate, not saying a word. It was Lord Klaus who broke it first.

"What were you thinking, Caroline?" He asked, exasperated and angry. "What were you doing outside?"

"What do you mean, what was I doing outside?" She asked, infuriated and forgetting common etiquette.

"You're supposed to be upstairs and resting!" He yelled, glaring at her.

"You gave me a day to myself, did you not? I simply went out to enjoy some fresh air and go to the stables! Forgive me, but I did not do anything out of order, m'lord." She said, a little more calmly.

"You did not do anything out of order? There was a storm! You could have gotten a fever and the illness could take your _life_, Caroline. And if you die now, you will become a vampire. Tell me, do you really want that?" Klaus asked, sincere concern and anger colouring his voice. Caroline was stunned still momentarily by his questions. _A vampire? No, I don't want to be a vampire._ It seemed as if her lord could read her mind as he added more quietly, "No, I didn't think so." He gazed down at her, blue eyes piercing through her and Caroline realized that he was very close to her, closer than he should be.

He was so close she could see the flecks of darker blue among the lighter blue in his eyes. She could see the worry and the care there. Things you would not expect from one such as Lord Klaus... things that she should _not_ be _allowed_ to see, and, yet, he allowed her in anyways. But even with that sincerity and the emotions she could tell he felt, all she could think of was blood sinking into the floor, snaking its way through the cracks. Innocent blood. Blood undeserved of being spilled. And it made her angry. It made her angry that the one who spilled it could make her _feel_ so much.

"You can't do this, m'lord." She said, blatantly staring up at his beautiful eyes. "You cannot act as if you have care of me one minute and abandon me at the next." Her voice weakened to a whisper and she was surprised he had yet to interrupt her. "I am your servant, and you my lord. You are my master, not my keeper. And you cannot expect me to care for you whilst you kill your way through life." His eyes sparked in hurt and it killed her that she was the cause; in that moment she hated herself that it pained her as much as him. _Why do I care for such things?_

"You're making assumptions _Miss_ Forbes." He said; jaw tight as he loomed over her, refusing to say her first name.

"But they are right, are they not m'lord?" She questioned, not backing down. "You're lonely. Your father did care for you and now you compel and strike fear into the hearts of people to _make_ them loyal. Loyalty is not _love_, m'lord, and I believe you know this but are not ready to accept it."

"I think you should leave." He hissed, eyes narrowing and fists clenching. She ignored him and continued calmly. As far as she was concerned she was not really disobeying him, he had said that he _thought_ she should go, he did not command her to so.

"You cannot simply take love, m'lord. It must be earned. And to earn such a thing you need to connect with people. You need to _try_." By now, she was looking at him searchingly, trying to make him understand.

"I said; _leave._" He said with menace, his face now so close to hers that she could feel his shallow breath on her cheek. She sighed in disappointment and stepped back, head bowed. Before she made to leave, however, she grabbed his clenched hand with both of hers, and after briefly playing with his fingers, she kissed his knuckles gently. She glanced back up at him to see him looking at her carefully, scanning her for some sort of sight of lies or fallacy.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue, m'lord... and for healing me." She said honestly. With that, she let go of his hand and walked out of the room.

She did not see Lord Klaus' awestruck expression.

* * *

That night Caroline made sure to ask the maids to bring extra logs for the fire, she was still shaking from the cold of the outside and was sincerely worried about getting ill. She had only ever been really sickly once in her life and she had almost not pulled through; she was not willing to go through such an experience again. As she put her wet garments on the window sill to dry, she noticed she still had Lord Klaus' fur-lined cloak with her. She touched it softly, _he was surprisingly gentle with me when he put it around me, as if I would break with the slightest mis-touch. _She smiled a little at the thought, but knew she had to stop thinking about such things.

As she had said before, he was her lord. _And_ he was a vampire. A killer. She should not feel a thing for him. Still, she couldn't help it when her thoughts turned to his speech about what life could offer and how his eyes had sparkled with passion as he told her the answers. She could not help but to remember how he held her tenderly against him, healing her with his very old and very powerful blood. _Why can he not simply act like the monster I know he must be?_

She put the cloak down with her own garments; _I'll_ _return it to him on the morrow_. She drew her curtains shut and, holding a candle, made her way to her small bed. There, she saw a rolled up bit of parchment, tied with white ribbon. Curious, she put the candle on the bedside table and reached for it, pulling off the ribbon. When she unrolled it, she gasped. There, carefully drawn on the parchment, was a picture of her, standing soaked with rain in two cloaks. In the drawing her eyes were big and striking and she had a half-smile on her face. Her hair clung to her neck, loosened from the long braid she had had it in. She was _beautiful_. In the bottom right hand corner of the drawing there was an inscription;

_Thank you for your honesty,_

_Klaus_

_Is that how he sees me_, she wondered. She stared at it for a while longer and felt her lips pull into a frown.

_How can he be a monster and create such beautiful things? _The question came to her again.

She had yet to come up with an answer.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dark dungeons of the Mikaelson Manor, a man stood over a coffin. There, in death, lay Lord Kol. Slowly, the man reached over and pulled out the dagger that was piercing the lord's heart. He smirked as he saw the vampire's skin begin to lighten.

A pair of dark eyes within the coffin opened.

"Welcome back to the living, m'lord."

**That's it! I'm afraid it's a short one, but next chapter is going to be longer! As you have probably noticed, some scenes were based off 3x14 :)**

**Before I sign off, I was asked in the reviews why I put the date and location at the top of each chapter... It's simple actually, the reason I do that is that, later on, the date and/or location may change, hint hint, wink wink.**

**Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	10. You And I

**I just want to thank thyvs, PsychVamp, Mandaish, babyvfan, chey1235, HemiXX, angelvboo, shadowfaxangel, thehoodedface, arabella, slarya, jennat8, luvit81, VolturiVixen, Clara, poisonivy228, KahlanDarcy, monnalisa, BlueJean452, Lazerlicious, InuGnome17, OKBooey31, jennyjtd, SueMikaelson, kp, Lily94, Crow Skywalker, DGfleetfox, Anna, CharmingWords23, Vampfan3, onceinalifetimechance, ShayShay305, raspberrypie, epic sweetness712, amber, jau0062, klauslove, lilylulurose, and beadedheart for reviewing, you guys are magnificent!**

**Disclaimer: No TVD for me... I should write a song about my grief :(**

Chapter 9

You And I

_London, England 1550_

Caroline stood awkwardly, shuffling quietly on her feet as she held Lord Klaus' dark cloak out to him, waiting for him to take it. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, pinning her down and locking her in her current position. Her own eyes stayed firmly glued to the floor, not straying. She heard his footsteps as he approached her slowly, as if she would run at the slightest misstep.

Once he was so close that she could nearly _hear_ the steady rise and fall of his chest, his fingers reached out and barely brushed hers and he took hold of the cloak. To her chagrin, she could not stop herself from glancing up at him. She swiftly brought her head back down, trying to look the perfect servant, knowing that it was a quality she much lacked the last few days.

The cloak was now in Lord Klaus' hands and Caroline breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped back and sat in one of the mahogany chairs that the dining room was filled with. He looked at her in curiosity, as if she were an enigma, impossible to figure out but intriguing nevertheless.

"Thank you, m'lord, for lending me your cloak; you are too kind." She said formally, curtsying once.

"You are welcome, Caroline." She made to leave when Lord Klaus' voice stopped her. "Wait. Have a seat." He pulled out the chair next to his, sliding it from other the shined wooden table. "We have a few business matters to discuss before you attend to your other duties." Obediently, she sat at the edge of the seat, as far away as she could get from him, distancing herself physically and mentally. "You there, bring us some goblets and wine." Lord Klaus commanded a serving girl, not looking her way. The girl immediately scurried off, returning a minute later with two elegant goblets, filled with the sweet wine he ordered. Caroline frowned, not one for drinking, but she knew not to refuse her lord so she accepted it and took a small sip as he smirked at her. She put her cup down heavily.

"M'lord tells me we have business?" She questioned him.

"That we do. I would tell you a few things of the binding ritual that you may not have known about before you decided to break through the boundary," He said evenly, kicking his chair back to prop his legs up on the dining table. _How rude_.

"The binding ritual, m'lord?"

"Yes, just a few minor details is all. For example, the fact that, now the boundary has been shattered, I will always know where you are... Also, I will continue to feel your emotions. That is just about it, I believe." He mused, not batting an eye as her face went slack jawed in shock. _Feel my emotions? He can feel my emotions? What on Earth? And know where I am all the time? He must be jesting with me..._

"Feel my emotions, m'lord?" She asked, tight-lipped.

"Yes, but not to an extreme, naturally... I only feel them when they are particularly strong. So when you feel terror, rage, bliss... lust..." He took a long sip from his goblet, looking at her through his lashes. She tried not to shiver under his heated glance, knowing it would only spur him on. _He's going to feel my emotions? Oh, Lord. This is not going to end well._

"And my location, m'lord?" She said, trying to show that he wasn't affecting her in any way. From the looks of it, she was not doing very well since Lord Klaus' smirk grew.

"I will able to detect you wherever you are through a mind connection." At her horrified glance, he was quick to reassure her. "Again, it will only happen if you are feeling a high amount of emotion." She was still not convinced as her panic rose; _He can't be in my mind. That means he will be able to invade my most private space. No one should have such an ability._

"Can we not get the spell re-done? To make the boundary intact?" She asked, voice surprisingly high pitched.

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart. Witches and their _spells_; tricky things, really. You see, the transaction with the binding was that, should the boundary be broken, it cannot be unbroken or _fixed, _shall we say. This would of course be an advantage to me, if my Forbes servant should try to _escape_..."

"Because then there will be nowhere he or she can hide, since the bond will forever be holding them to you." She finished, realizing. Lord Klaus nodded in approval, suddenly all business.

"Precisely, love. So, even though you did not intend to escape, you still broke the boundary and these are the consequences." He stated, taking his legs from the table and turning completely to her, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

"B-But, there must be a way m'lord!" She exclaimed, ignoring the fact that he had moved even closer to her and how her heart skipped a beat because of it.

"There is none, Caroline." He stated. Her shoulders sagged, and she looked to her hands. _When did everything become so... different?_ She didn't want him to know so much of her, to _control _so much of her. She saw a hand move towards hers and grip it tightly, covering her small hand with his larger one. She did not move away but looked to him, questioningly.

"I give you my word I will not use the bond unless there is no other option." She briefly smiled at him, trying to say '_it's alright! I'm fine.'_ She could tell he didn't believe a thing of it though and he tightened his fingers around hers before letting go and grabbing a small cloth bag from the table. He held it lightly with his fingertips, a look of disgust upon his face. He handed it to her, and she took it, brow creased in curiosity. He gestured for her to look inside and so she did.

_Vervain_. And lots of it too, crushed into powder.

"I believe that may come of use to you. It may also help with the bond... According to my sister, the more you take of it, the less easily I will be able to connect to you." He paused a moment, before continuing. "It will also, of course, stop compulsion and make your blood poison to any vampire." Lord Klaus cleared his throat. "Be sure to take it every day and should you need more, just ask for it."

Caroline wanted to say that the Forbes family had their own stores of vervain, that she did not need him to give her things, but something stopped her short. He was willing to give up on some of his control of her for her own protection... So she had some form of being able to stay true to herself. _Yet he had no ill feelings towards compelling me a few days ago... _So instead of protesting, she nodded and tied the bag of vervain to her belt. There was an awkward moment of silence between them, neither sure what should proceed.

"That concludes our business today, darling." Lord Klaus stated as he abruptly got up and went to stand behind Caroline's chair. He leant forward, placing his head by her cheek. "Come with me, I'd like to show you something." He whispered in her ear. Caroline stilled, taken off-guard. _I should just say no... But I can't refuse him. Mama said never refuse him. _For once, she cursed her family's many rules, but knew she had naught a choice but to follow them. Lord Klaus circled her, so he now stood before her, hand held out to her. In defeat, she sighed, and placed her hand in his.

His replying smile made it seem worth the trouble.

* * *

Lord Klaus had, surprisingly, led her to the stables. As he walked her in, he brought his hands up to cover her eyes and immediately she tried to pull them off. Alas, it was to no avail.

"W-What is going on, m'lord?" She questioned, cursing her sudden shyness as blood rose to her cheeks.

"It's a surprise, Caroline. Do not worry yourself, sweetheart, I have no nefarious intentions." He whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She let her hands fall from his, clenching them at her sides. He led her forward, hands covering her eyes. Caroline wondered why she was not more afraid; after all, he was a vampire. He could easily injure her and yet she believed that he would not. Eventually they must have reached their destination, for her lord stilled. He took his hands from her eyes, and placed them both on her shoulders.

"Open your eyes, love." She obeyed, and gasped in delight, walking forward. Before her stood a horse she did not recognize. It was beautiful beast, huge with a sleek, dark brown coat. It had a white spot on its snout and its mane was a wild mess of black. It snorted loudly, surprising Caroline, who automatically stepped back. She bumped into a solid body behind her, whipping around. Lord Klaus was smirking down at her, arms crossed in front of his chest. Caroline cleared her throat, trying to stop her thoughts from running wild.

"Is this..." She trailed off, suddenly unsure.

"She's for you, love. I thought you could use a little... _compensation_, for your troubles." He stated, looking at her as if trying to gage her reaction. Though she did not particularly like his wording of the situation, she couldn't help the blinding smile that came to her face.

"She's _beautiful_, m'lord." She stated, turning back to look at the horse, _her_ horse. She leant on the wooden gate of her pen, Lord Klaus joining her not a moment later. She could feel his eyes on her as she watched her horse. "How did you know, m'Lord Klaus?" She questioned, shyly gazing at him.

"You seem to spend a lot of time in my stables, Caroline." He stated, chuckling. She looked at him, disbelieving, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, Elijah told me..." He confessed, causing her to giggle. He smiled at her, boyish dimples showing. They both turned back to watch Caroline's horse.

"Does she have a name, m'lord?" She asked.

"I thought you might like to give her one."

"Myra..." She murmured. "I'd like to call her Myra."

"Good choice." Lord Klaus commented. There was a moment where nothing was said before Caroline turned to face her lord fully.

"Thank you, m'lord. This is truly a kindness. I have never received such a gift before." Caroline said, curtsying. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you." She instantly regretted her words when she saw Lord Klaus' smirk.

"Well, there is one way..."

"M'lord?" She asked, nervous of what he wanted of her.

"You could give me a chance."

"I do not know what you mean, m'lord." She replied, playing dumb.

"I would make you mine, Caroline." He leaned closer, and took her hand, holding it to his chest, over his heart. "All I ask is for a chance to court you without you refusing me at every turn."

"You presume too much, m'lord." She ripped her hand away, surprised that she was actually able to. She had a sneaking suspicion Lord Klaus only _let_ her take her hand back.

"Give me _one_ week, just one." He stated amiably, with a shrug. "And if you still dislike me then... I will leave you be and you will _only_ be my maidservant... Come on, Caroline, I dare you." He smirked at her and she sighed; _damn_ him for knowing what buttons to push.

"Fine... I give you my consent, m'lord..." She met his gaze head on. "But, _only_ one week and I need your _word_ that you will leave me be should I decide so." She quickly added when she saw his smirk widen.

"You have my word, love."

"Good." She sighed. Suddenly, Lord Klaus opened the gate to Myra's pen, ushering Caroline in as well.

"Then I have the perfect way to start..." He began pulling things off racks and started fiddling around.

"Wait, right _now_, m'lord?" She thought he would wait a day or two.

"Now is as good a time as any, is it not?" He said with a smile and Caroline abruptly realized that he was saddling Myra up; she took a step back.

"I-I'm afraid I might have mislead you. I don't know much about horses, m'lord." She gulped nervously.

"You don't know how to ride?" He asked, incredulous.

"No, m'lord. I-I apologize... I should have told you sooner." She whispered, looking down.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Caroline." Lord Klaus said softly, she returned her eyes to his, surprised to see him gazing tenderly at her. "I sometimes forget that others have not lived such long and privileged lives as I and my siblings." _He's not mad?_ She was actually rather shocked. From what she knew of her lord, he always had a foul temper and was quick to anger at the smallest offense. And, yet, here he was _reassuring_ her. She was confused, to say the least.

"Well, there is only one thing we can do about it then..." Lord Klaus stated, tugging at the saddle one last time, before approaching the blonde girl. When he was right in front of her, he smirked. "... I suppose I'll have to teach you." He grabbed her suddenly by the waist, causing her yelp in shock. Quickly, he blurred back to Myra and placed her on the horse. Caroline automatically adjusted herself to the saddle, trying not to fall as she looked for something to hold onto.

"M'lord!" She cried, indignant, with a huff.

"First lesson; you need to be _on_ the horse to ride it." He chuckled in response. She glared at him, annoyed at his amusement. She made to get off, but Lord Klaus' hand on her leg stopped her. "Ah, ah, you made a deal. Seven days, Caroline. You have to give me a chance."

"And this constitutes as giving you a chance?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Of course it does, sweetheart." She sighed, knowing she could not go back on her word. She nodded her consent. "Good, now all you need to do is hold onto that there, the horn." Lord Klaus stated, as he took her hands and placed them on the 'horn', "Just keep your balance and Myra and I will do the rest." He placed her feet one by one properly in the stirrups, looking up at her every once so often, smirking a bit when he caught her blush. He took a step back, admiring her.

"There, much better." He reached for the reins, and began to lead Myra out of the stables. Caroline squeezed her legs tighter around her horse, afraid that if she let go an inch she would fall. Her heart beat faster with anxiousness. "Don't be afraid, love. She can feel it if you are. A confident rider is a better rider." She gulped as she looked down at him.

"I'm going to fall, m'lord."

"No you are not, Caroline. Besides, I'll be right with you the entire time." Lord Klaus said, gazing back at her sincerely. She felt a warm feeling at his concern for her.

Lord Klaus slowly walked them to the gardens, staying by them steadily. Myra was obviously a reliable horse; she had not once tried to throw Caroline off, for which she was very grateful. Eventually they had gotten to the pond and Caroline was surprised by the fact she was actually enjoying herself. She had finally gotten used to the steady rhythm of riding and her fear of falling drifted away from her. The fact that Lord Klaus was there probably helped as well.

The entire ride Lord Klaus had been silent, and Caroline didn't mind at all. It said something to her that she could enjoy a comfortable silence with him. Though she often babbled, she wasn't one for nonsensical chatter when it was unnecessary and out here in the lovely gardens, with the sun shining and a cool breeze in the air, she felt calm and content, even without talking. When they arrived at the willow tree, Lord Klaus turned to her, a mischievous look in his blue eyes. Immediately, she felt her calm melt away and be replaced with nerves.

"I think that you have learned the basics, sweetheart." He handed her the reins before she could protest. "It's time you ride on your own." He smacked Myra's side once, causing the horse to go suddenly running. Caroline, taken by surprise, nearly forgot how to hold on. Through her panic though, she managed to get ahold of herself. Instinctively, she was able to gain control of Myra, leading her with the reins. Her initial panic and fright left her as she felt the speed of her horse underneath her. The wind blew through her hair and she let out a laugh of glee. She had never realized the utter fun riding could be. She looked back to Lord Klaus to tell him this when she lost her precarious balance.

She felt herself falling before she knew what was going on, her heart jumping to her throat. She closed her eyes and waited for impact when Lord Klaus was suddenly _there_ and caught her swiftly. Her eyes were still glued shut when she felt his rumbling laughter. She peeked up at him. He looked so _young_, the smile on his face erasing the weariness that usually lay there. She joined in with his laughter, knowing she must have looked ridiculous. When their laughter subsided however, they were left staring at each other and Caroline realized he was still holding her in a _very_ improper way.

"You can put me down now, m'lord." She said quietly, not breaking away from his gaze. He gently placed her feet on the floor, but did not move away. She was so close she had to crane her neck slightly to look at him.

"You needn't call me 'm'lord' anymore Caroline..." He whispered, eyes burning into hers. "You are not beneath me..." His voice turned husky as his arm slowly wrapped around her waist. He did not make another move, however, leaving the decision of what would happen next with her. Caroline knew she shouldn't, but she had also told him she would give him a chance. And the way he looked at her, eyes smouldering and yet still gazing at her tenderly... She never felt more _her_, until this moment.

Coming to a decision, Caroline quickly wound her arms around Klaus' neck and placed her lips over his. The kiss started off sweet and innocent but soon grew more passionate. Klaus' other arm went around her shoulders, pulling the blonde girl flush to him. His hand soon rose to her hair as he deepened the kiss. Caroline tightened her grip around his neck, standing on her the tips of her toes.

"Klaus," She murmured as he pressed another kiss to her lips. She only pulled away when she needed air, but even then she did not step away. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks when she realized what she had done.

She had _kissed_ him. She had kissed _Lord Klaus._

Hastily, she backed up and walked to where Myra stood, grazing. Caroline tried to mount her but found she wasn't at all sure how to. A pair of hands came swiftly around her waist, lifting her up with ease until she sat in the saddle. The hands stayed there as she looked down at the vampire they belonged to. She took one of them, and, much like the day before, she placed a light kiss to his knuckles.

"I thank you for today, m'lord." She smiled genuinely at Klaus, before taking the reins and setting Myra to a trot. Before she left him standing there, a few of his earlier words made its way into her mind and she decided to address them.

_"And if you still dislike me then..."_

"To let you know... Klaus... I _don't_ dislike you." With that, she rode off as quickly as she could, trying not to fall and telling herself that her heart was only racing because of the speed Myra was going at.

Even she did not believe her lie.

* * *

Klaus watched the blonde spitfire as she rode her horse clumsily back to the stable with a smile on his face. She was truly extraordinary. He smirked as he thought of how she took control and kissed him. And now he had seven, well, six more days to commence with his plans.

For the first time in a long while, Klaus felt that things were alright. Mikael had yet to discover them. Elijah was still searching after Katerina and he was getting closer every day. Rebekah had yet to throw another tantrum. Kol was no longer causing any trouble. And Caroline... Caroline was giving in. Just as he always knew she would.

She was such a temptation, this little human girl. So intoxicating and so very young... But also fierce and she had a fire unlike any other. She was a worthy opponent, to be sure.

Klaus was going to enjoy this game _very_ much.

* * *

Caroline groaned as she sat on her bed. She had finally been able to leave the stable after trying, and failing, to unsaddle her horse many times over. Eventually, she had had to find a stable hand to help her with Myra. And now she was sore everywhere, her body unused to riding.

Her thoughts quickly turned to Lord Klaus and what had happened between them. He had given her vervain... and a horse... and she had kissed him. Let's not forget their little arrangement as well. How he had managed to turn everything so out of order in one day, she would never know. It must be a talent of his, she decided. Still, part of her was glad for the whirlwind known as Lord Niklaus. Though he brought fear and dread to people, he also brought her other, more confusing feelings. Feelings she was not ready to admit to.

As she glanced around her chambers, she noticed a roll of parchment lying innocently on her clothing chest. She took it, hesitantly, already suspecting who it was from. She ripped off the ribbon tied around it and unrolled it. Inside was another drawing. In this one she was riding Myra, looking to all the world like a wild princess as she glanced back to the artist. She was smiling in the drawing, happy. She again wondered if she really looked like that to him. In the corner, there was an inscription.

_You're welcome,_

_Klaus._

Caroline smiled as she placed the picture with the other and was strangely excited for what the next day would bring.

_Maybe staying away from him will be harder than I thought._

* * *

A woman sat in a carriage, looking immaculate, her chocolate brown curls styled to perfection, olive toned skin glistening. She waited patiently for the arrival of a very important guest, smirking. Her plans were finally coming to fruition. She would get her vengeance.

As the door to the carriage opened, she smiled in anticipation. _Finally._

A human man entered, the arm of a weakened vampire around his shoulder as he brought him in with him. The human placed the vampire across from her and looked to her for instruction.

"Thank you, John. You've served your lord well." She stated with false sweetness before viciously snapping the human's neck. This caused the vampire to look to her in shock.

"Hello Kol. It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled darkly at him. "My name is Katerina and you and I have much to discuss."

**That's it for now! I know it's shorter but I thought this was the best ending for the chapter.**

**You know what I just realized, John has the same name as John Gilbert. I guess when I was looking for a name for a d-bag I automatically thought of him, though he did redeem himself, kinda, when he saved Elena, I must say. Anyways, kinda random but there you go.**

**I just want to apologize that the wait was longer than usual; there are a bunch of reasons why this wasn't up earlier so I won't bore you with all of the details, but, just to let you know, I hope to start updating more regularly ;)**

**Next chapter: More from the other Original siblings and we explore Klaus' week with Caroline. What is dear ol' Katherine up to?**

**Sorry if the kiss scene sucked, it's the first time I've ever written one :(**

**Let me know what you think!**

**RW**

**Edited - 19/08/12**


	11. Honest Embrace

**Thank you to klarolinelover, mamouti, Cat, H0neyAnge1, thicket of kisses87, SamanthaLouise, soph, shadowfaxangel, HemiXX, Lazerlicious, Fallendarkangel693, SamanthaLouise, SueMikaelson, TVDGirlLove, , Marcol11, blubell1203, babyvfan, chey1235, LuluDancing, CharmingWords23, monnalisa, slarya, Damonsexybeast (x9), PsychVamp, xTheUnforbiddenxs2, Clara, xmmara, SweetyK, kendra009, DGfleetfox, jennat8, InuGnome17, luvit81, KahlanDarcy, jennyjtd, Sci-fi Christian, Dean's secret Love, BlueJean452, angelvboo, beverlie4055, Kat7CA, beadedheart, lilylulurose, and MysteryDream3 for reviewing! Three hundred plus reviews! I'm really humbled and utterly honoured :)**

**Disclaimer: TVD does not belong to me.**

Chapter 10

Honest Embrace

_London, England 1550_

Caroline awoke with an unexpected smile on her face. Though she chose to ignore it, she knew she was only smiling for one reason; Klaus. She rolled out of bed, going to the washbasin to splash water on her face, her grin still stuck there. She jumped when there was an abrupt knock on her door. Grabbing her thin robe, she pulled it on swiftly, answering the door. A serving girl stood there, shifting slightly on her feet.

"The Lord Klaus requests you join him for a morning picnic, Miss Caroline." The girl said with a sweet-sounding voice. Caroline nodded, knowing it was less a request and more a demand.

"Thank you..." She replied. "I'm sorry, I have been rude; I haven't asked you for your name... you are?"

"My name Anna, miss." The girl said with a slight curtsy, her brown locks covering her face.

"It's a pleasure Anna. I was wondering, could deliver a message for me?" She asked.

"Of course, miss."

"Could you tell my brother that I won't be in today, and that he is to ensure the working order of the kitchens instead of myself?"

"Yes, miss." Anna blushed. Caroline knew that Robb was popular amongst the female servants and fought the urge to roll her eyes. The girl scurried off, leaving Caroline to her own devices. After washing up, she pulled on a light green gown, tying a brown belt around her waist. She braided her long hair, pulling the finished braid over her shoulder. Pulling on her light cream boots, she took her the dark green cloak her mother gave her and headed for the door.

Her grin had returned.

* * *

They sat side-by-side on the ground, watching as the breeze blew its way through the tall grass. The picnic had been surprisingly peaceful, Caroline felt. Lord Klaus had been waiting for her in the parlour, a straw basket in his hands. He had held his arm out to her, and, without hesitation, she had weaved her own arm through his. They had walked in relative silence and even when they reached their destination and broke into the food, there was not much said.

Caroline quite liked it. It was relaxed, calm, and the opposite of what she thought her lord would insist she do. She had assumed that he would do big, grandiose things with her; he seemed the type. Yet, here they were, having a nice quiet meal.

She glanced at her lord, admiring the way the noon sun lit up his features, bringing out the blond of his hair and the blue of his eyes. He was wearing dark clothes, as seemed to be his norm, but it suited him well. She froze when his eyes suddenly met hers, for once a smirk did not grace his face. Instead he looked perfectly serious. He reached out, slightly grazing her cheek with his thumb, before lifting his hand and pulling something from her hair. A leaf.

Caroline felt herself redden, embarrassed. For a moment she had thought he would kiss her. _He was a good kisser_.

She cleared her throat, blocking away those unnecessary thoughts.

"What brings us here, m'lord?" She asked, trying to distract herself from the sudden thickness of the air around them, eyes still locked with his.

"I thought I had told you to call me Klaus... At least for the rest of this week." He said, with a look of disapproval.

"Forgive me, Klaus." She replied, tentative. He suddenly stood and held his hand down to her. She placed her much smaller hand in his and he pulled her up with ease, smirking slightly when she fell into him. Immediately, she pushed away from, blush back in full force. "Come, I have something I wish to show you." She expected that he would offer his arm to her again, but instead he simply kept hold of her hand, intertwining their fingers. Her cheeks reddened impossibly more. The basket was still in the grass and she went to grab it, but Klaus tugged her away gently.

"Leave it. You are not the servant today." He told her with a small, gentle smile.

He pulled her away and she did not resist.

* * *

As it turns out, there was a lake in the forest, and a beautiful one at that. Caroline had thought the pond in the grounds of the estate was a sight to behold, but this definitely bested it. The trees that surrounded were tall and loomed over it and sunlight filtered through the leaves, bathing the area in a soothing golden light. The ground was mossy and soft under their feet and birds chirped all around them, singing songs unlike any other. The water of the lake was shining slightly, and there were glimmering drops of dew on the flowers by her feet.

"It's so beautiful." She said, awed.

"That it is. Though much less than yourself._ You_ are _stunning_." Klaus replied, coming to her side where she had wandered to stand by the rocky bank of the lake. She gazed up at him, not sure whether or not he meant it. After all, she was nothing special; that was little Laura. She was the pretty sister, the delicate child of the family, whereas Caroline was the dutiful daughter, trained to obey.

"Why do you compliment me so?" She asked with a strong voice, eyes slightly narrowed. "Why do you insist on 'courting' me?"

"Why not?"

"Do not mock me!" She huffed, stamping her foot in annoyance, causing Klaus to look at her with amusement dancing in his eyes. "I am no fool and I will not be taken as one."

"You are a fool." He said simply.

"_Begging_ your pardon?" She was infuriated; _How dare he? That smug, self-righteous swine!_ _Accusing me of being a fool? He's the one that can't do his own bloody ledgers!_

"You are a fool. A beautiful fool, granted, but a fool all the same." She glared at him and his omniscient tone, as he looked down at her with a sure gaze.

"I am _not-_"

"Yes, you are." He interrupted, coming to stand directly in front of her. "You are fool to not see why I would want to court you. I have already told you once and yet you do not seem to understand." He reached out, placing his hand on the side of her face. "I _fancy _you. I admire your strength, ferocity, stubbornness, and, yes, your beauty." She was captured by his eyes, not moving an inch.

_Does he really mean all of that? It would explain all of this… But, how..? Why..?_

"Yet, you do not court me correctly." She blurted out, unexpectedly.

Really, _that's_ all she could come up with? Caroline could have smacked herself. Klaus chuckled loudly, dimples showing as he smiled down at her.

"Then tell me what to do, sweetheart. You seem to be very knowledgeable in this area. Alas, have you been courted before?" His tone was laced amusement and teasing.

"W-well, no, but, uh… well…" Flustered, she tried to come up with a reply, wondering why she had suddenly lost all her wit.

"Perhaps I _am_ going about it wrong, sweet Caroline." He said, rather wistfully. "In my day it was simple. You met a girl, you walked with her, talked with her and if you liked her, you asked her father for her hand. Nowadays, however, there are all sorts of social necessities for this and that. Rules, you could say." His gaze burned into hers. "I have never been fond of rules."

"Neither have I." Her answer must have surprised him, for he looked down at her in shock.

"And yet you follow them so well." He stated, looking at her expectantly.

"Yes, well, I am a Forbes. We know when to take our losses, m'lo-_Klaus._"

"So I am _your_ Klaus now?" He smirked at her.

"That title must be earned." She replied promptly, finally looking away and gazing back across the lake.

It was silent for a moment, before she saw him smile wickedly at her and teasingly say, "I shall do my best then, m'lady Caroline."

Caroline had no doubt he would.

* * *

Klaus had led his feisty little Caroline back to her chambers, and bid her farewell with a kiss to her cheek. She has looked up at him wide-eyed, blushing and he couldn't help but add a few words.

"Do I court you properly now, love?" He had asked. The blush gracing her fair cheeks had darkened, pleasing him slightly and she had shut the door in his face; that had been surprisingly pleasant as well. All of this led to Klaus' good humour. He even whistled a little as he made his back to his own chambers. _Such a strange and lovely creature._

Walking in his door, he found a familiar someone waiting for him.

"Where have you been, Nik?" The girl with blue eyes and blond hair matching his own asked.

"Sweet sister, I do believe that is my own business." He replied, sitting himself down on one of the many comfortable sofas in his room, arms spread over the backrest as he smirked up at her.

"It _is_ my business when you have been consorting with the servants! What are you thinking, Nik?" She hissed in return.

"Sometimes it is wise to hold your tongue, Bekah." Though he had a smile on his face, his tone was dangerously low.

"She is human. Do you not see? You are setting yourself up for failure." Rebekah replied, somewhat calmer.

"I am well aware of what she is… She is simply some entertainment in this dreary place."

"Fine." She sighed, knowing she could not force her brother to see her way. "Just don't hurt her too much, she is but a girl… and don't let yourself get hurt, either." She whispered. Klaus stood, walking over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and led her to the door.

"Do not worry over me, little sister." He gave her a quick kiss on the temple, before opening the door, and lightly pushing her out of it. "I can care for myself."

"'Tis true, but the same may not be able to be said for _her_, brother." Rebekah replied, a sad look in her eyes before turning and walking briskly away.

Klaus sighed. _Women_.

* * *

The next morning Klaus' jovial mood had returned. Rebekah had greeted him normally, there was no more talk about his recent activities and he had not seen Elijah for a few days. His brother was attending to business in the city, which was actually quite a relief; he didn't need to explain himself to Elijah if he did not know of what was going on. Today he did not command a passing serving girl and instead went himself to fetch Caroline. On the way up, he passed her brother, the Robb boy, who glanced at him, shocked as Klaus went to his sister's door. The boy said naught a word to him, simply returned to his own room, his mouth a thin line.

Klaus took no notice and knocked on Caroline's door. He was met with the nice surprise of the girl in question answering it wearing nothing but a thin robe and nightshift, her hair tumbling around her shoulders in golden waves.

"Klaus!" She squeaked, finally noticing just who answered the door. He smirked as she hid herself behind her door, head popping out as she looked at him with sleepy yet alert eyes.

"I would like that you accompany me for a ride." He stated, still grinning at her flustered state. How he loved to get a rise out of her, it was utterly entertaining.

"O-Of course, just, please, give me a moment to prepare." She replied with a slight stutter.

"Take all time you need. I will wait for you in the stables. You know where they are." Without another word, he left his human standing there in shock, wearing only sleeping garments as he walked away with a whistle.

* * *

Lord Klaus had Myra and his own horse all saddled up by the time Caroline joined him. She felt a little frazzled, having dressed in hurry. She hadn't had the time to tie her hair and it spilled wildly around her. Klaus approached her, and pressed a kiss to her hand, sending an involuntary shiver through her. He lingered a little longer than was proper, but Caroline made no comment. As he straightened, he sent her a casual smirk.

"You look wonderful, love." She fought the urge to roll her eyes; now he was _really_ pouring on the charm, she knew for fact that she looked a lamentable mess. Still, she did not argue his point; it would only lead to him outwitting her. _Again._ So instead, she walked with confidence to Myra, and tried to jump on her, nearly growling in frustration when she found she could not. It was difficult to mount a horse in a dress. _Men have it so easy_.

She was bathed in warmth as very masculine hands hoisted her up and placed her upon her horse. For a moment, she wished Klaus would not let go, there was something strangely comforting about his presence. She watched appreciatively as he mounted his own horse, a great black stallion. He did it with such ease and grace, just as he did everything else; like a predator waiting to spring, its body coiled and ready to move at any given moment. It was actually a rather beautiful thing to behold.

He reared his horse next to her, looking quite the natural horseman as he led his stallion at an even trot. She followed close behind.

"Did you have horses when you were human?" She asked, curious. He stayed silent and she ducked her head. "Forgive me, I mean not to pry, m'lo-Klaus." She quickly corrected herself, eyes still down.

"Do not apologize, Caroline. I am simply unused to such questions. There are not many who would dare to ask them." He replied softly. "We did not have horses. We were much too poor to afford such luxuries and even if we did have the means to buy them, I am sure Mikael would not have deemed me worthy of one." Caroline looked back up to see him gazing across the fields in sadness.

"Mikael? Your father?" She inquired, this time a little more hesitant. She did want to overstep her bounds.

"Yes." He offered no further explanation, but instead looked back at her, half-smile on his face. "Enough of that, let's you and I do some real riding." He tugged sharply at the rains and with a 'yah' sent his great black horse flying into a gallop. Caroline grinned and followed him with a loud laugh.

* * *

They rode for what seemed like hours, spurring each other on. Though Caroline knew she was nowhere near as good a rider as her lord, she was still able to keep up. She had a feeling it was Klaus' doing. When she felt as though she would topple off Myra, they rode back to the stables at a slow, meandering pace.

There was a cold wind today, and it began to chill Caroline; she was relieved when they arrived at the stables. Just as she was about to dismount, a pair strong arms once again helped her. Klaus lifted her up by her waist, holding her above him for a moment before setting her on the ground. He led Myra back to her pen and began unsaddling her.

"Why…" She stopped short, unsure whether or not she should continue. Klaus turned around to face her, head slightly cocked to the side.

"You can ask me anything and I will try to answer with the truth." He said, rather seriously.

"Why do you do that yourself when you have so many serving you?" She asked, honestly just curious. He was a lord. A vampire lord, yes, but a lord nonetheless and that gave him privileges.

"I do have many servants, but I come from humble beginnings. It pleases me to sometimes do the simple tasks of daily life. Is that so odd to you?" He asked when she let out a little giggle.

"It is not odd, Klaus, but I have difficulty imagining you, well, _humble_." She said, honestly. This caused Klaus to let out his own chuckle.

"I suppose that could be so." There was another moment of silence as he went methodically about his work. Were it any other case, Caroline would offer her help, but, alas, she was at a loss. There was a question burning on her mind, though. It was one that had been there quite a while, haunting her thoughts. She knew it would be best not to mention it, but she could not simply let it go.

_And he did say I could ask him anything…_

"Klaus…" She hesitated for a second, before strengthening her resolve. "Why did you kill the girl?" He froze. "The one in the parlour?" Just when she thought he would not answer her, he did.

"She was a spy." He turned to face her, approaching her. "One of my enemies had placed her here to gather knowledge of my activities."

"So, you killed her?" She asked, unnecessarily, but she needed to hear it from him.

"Yes, I killed her." He replied, evenly and without a waiver. "And I would do so again. She was a danger to my family and my household. What could I have done? Had I shown her mercy, I would have been perceived as weak and that would make my enemies even more bold the next time they decide to act."

"Sometimes mercy is considered an act of strength." She replied heavily, saddened.

"The ideal of an innocent." Klaus said, calmly. "I have lived far longer than you, love. When you walk the earth as long as I have, you see it for what it truly is."

"If _she_ were innocent, would you have still killed her then?"

"It is likely." Caroline frowned, disappointed. There was something in him, a _good_ thing, and yet, he still maintained this killer persona. "I am a vampire, Caroline. We are natural-born predators. We feed off blood to survive. Oft-times I could simply steal the blood, and erase the memories of my victims when I have had my fill, and there are many times that I do, but also many times that I don't." He looked at her, considering. "I am a murderer… Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No." She whispered, looking away from him. She was disappointed and a part of her hated him. She hated him for being a murderer and she hated him for having that other side, the one that was hidden away from the world. The one she had seen with her own eyes and the one for which she kept coming back to him.

"Does that make you afraid? To know of the blood on my hands? Or rather, in my mouth?" Klaus asked, moving closer as she moved back. "Are you frightened of me?"

"No. I am frightened of what you will do to me." She replied as her back hit the wall. It was true, for as much as she hated and, indeed, liked him, for some reason, she was not truly afraid of him. At least, not in the conventional way.

"Is that what you're afraid of? That I'll hurt you?" He asked, hands on the wall behind her, arms now on either side of her head. She felt her heart beat faster as he gazed down at her. He leaned closer, his cheek next to hers. "Are you frightened of me, sweet Caroline?" He whispered, huskily, sending shivers down her spine. She shook her head, not trusting her voice. She would not give him the pleasure of seeing her frightened. She was stronger than that.

"Then perhaps, it is this you are afraid of." He pulled away slightly from her ear to look her in the eye. She watched, fascinated as his eyes darkened, the veins around them popping out slightly. His fangs lengthened into sharp points. She did not look away. Though at first the monstrous appearance _had_ scared her, she now saw there was a vicious beauty about it.

With bated breath, she tentatively moved her hand up, and without realizing it, reached out to tenderly stroke Klaus' face. He watched her, completely still as she traced the pattern of veins around his eyes, and as she let one of fingers lightly touch his fangs.

"No." She whispered. Quite suddenly, Klaus pulled her hand away from his cheek and turned it, holding it with her wrist facing up.

"Are you sure about that?" He questioned, his voice low and gravelly. Her heart beat a mile a minute as he leaned down, fangs grazing her wrist sensually. "I could bite you right now, drain all the blood from your body." He looked up at her, gazing through his lashes. "I could bite you here." He shook her wrist once before he raised his hand and brushed her long locks away from her shoulder, exposing her creamy throat. He nuzzled her there with his nose, causing her to freeze completely as sparks shot down her spine. He then moved so his fangs scraped her throat lightly, whispering as he went. "Or here." He kissed her neck once, before moving up to murmur in her ear. "It would be _so_ easy." His hand fell to her lower back, pulling her closer.

"You won't." She said, confidently. He would have done so already had he intended to.

"Won't I?" He challenged, landing a small peck on the sensitive area behind her ear, hand stroking her back gently.

"You won't." She repeated. "I am not afraid of you." He stilled his movements.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

"I am afraid of how you can make me feel." There was the truth. The horrible truth. She was not frightened of _him, _for no matter how much of his bad side she saw, there was also that spark of good in him. The one she returned for. Caroline supposed she had a hero complex, wanting to 'save' a twisted soul, no matter how it was covered in blood.

Klaus raised his head up suddenly; looking at her in what she could have sworn was surprise. They gazed at each other for a moment, neither moving, before Klaus's other hand fell to her hair and his lips descended on hers as his fangs retracted. She wrapped her own arms around his neck, pulling his head down to hers as she returned his kiss with the same ferocity. She gasped as he deepened the kiss, arm cinching around her waist. Caroline's hands wound in his surprisingly soft hair as their tongues clashed. Her back was still against the wall, her chest pressed flush to his. She let out a sound of disappointment as he moved his lips from hers only to kiss his way down to her throat; to the same place he had grazed with his fangs not moments before.

Now that she could see behind Klaus, she blinked a few times when she noticed a figure at the entrance of the stables, looking on in shock.

_Robb. _

_Oh no._

"Stop. Klaus, stop." He immediately pulled away, looking at her, question clear in his face. She escaped from his embrace, pushing him away.

"Robb!" She exclaimed at her brother, who had now turned around and staggered away. Caroline was about to run after him when she glanced back to Klaus, who looked saddened. Before she considered her actions, she ran back up to him, throwing her arms across his neck and kissing him once as his arms wrapped automatically around her waist. She pulled away just as quickly.

"Thank you for your honesty." She murmured, before turning around and promptly chasing after her brother.

* * *

"Robb! Robb! Wait!" She called out after him, following as he ran back into the estate. He ran quickly up the stairs, too fast for her to catch him. He dress hindered her as she tried to speedily ascend the stairs herself. Eventually she made it to their floor and grabbed hold of her brother's arm. "Stop! Let me explain!"

Robb ripped his arm away from her, turning towards her with fury in his eyes. "Don't bother." He snarled.

"Please, brother, give me a chance to make you understand." She pleaded with him desperately, once again pulling at his arm.

"What is there to understand?" He turned to her once more. "He is a monster, Caroline! I thought I had shown you that! Or are you so stupid to think that you can change him? We are nothing more than toys to them!" He bellowed gripping her by the upper arms.

"They are not what they seem, Robb!"

"No, _you_ are not what you seem! I had thought you to have some sense, instead I find you to be a foolish liar." He said viciously, hands tightening around her arms. "You lied to my _face_, Caroline, and you _dare_ call me brother. You do not lie to family. I thought you better than this." His disappointment was like a stab to Caroline's heart.

"I did not mean for this to happen." She whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"Well it did, and I will have no part in it. I hope you have a wonderful life as his whore." With that final blow, her brother walked off without another glance her way, leaving her standing all alone. She wrapped her arms around herself and leant against the wall as a sob escaped her. As she fell to the floor, the tears overwhelmed her and she could hold it in no longer. She put a hand in front of her mouth to stifle her cries, trying not to make a sound.

_Robb. Please Robb. I need you big brother. Don't abandon me. Please!_

Her body shook with the power of her sobs, despair sweeping over her. She cried and cried and even when she felt gentle hands on her shoulders and looked into sympathetic blue eyes, she would not be comforted. She was pulled into a strong embrace, that of a man who the world saw as a monster, one arm around her waist and one hand in her hair, holding her head into his neck. Her hands held on tight to his doublet, going numb with the strength of her grip.

"My brother…h-he…" She hiccupped, tears still streaking down her face as she struggled to get the words out.

"Sh, love… It's going to be alright. I'm here." Came the deep, soothing voice.

_Klaus._

* * *

He had felt her despair, clear as day, as if it was his own, and he went to her without another thought, wrapping her tightly in his embrace as nuzzled his nose into her sun-weaved hair.

_Caroline._

_It's alright._

_It's me. You're safe._

* * *

_South of England, 1550_

"So, Kol, do we have a deal?" The dark-haired beauty asked, holding out her deceitfully delicate hand to the vampire across from her.

"Yes... we do."

Katerina Petrova smirked as the Original accepted her proposal; finally, things would go her way.

_Let the games begin_.

**I know, I know, I'm not the best at updating regularly; Let me put it this way, I will try to have at least one update per week. The next two weeks will probably be somewhat infrequent though; exams and all that.**

**For some reason, this chapter was really hard to write; every time I tried to start on it, I just kept staring at a blank screen. It was really frustrating, but I finished it!**

**Oh and if anyone's interested I have a couple Klaus and Rebekah oneshots up; I may do some separate Klaroline oneshots too. I thought about doing a stand-alone piece from this story, just like as a small companion, about past Forbes servants, such Uncle Richard or whatnot, is anyone interested, or should I just leave it?**

**Next chapter: Caroline comes at a stand point with both Robb and Klaus. Do we find out more about the deal between Katherine and Kol? Stay tuned!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 19/08/12**


	12. Who Am I Without You?

**SPECIAL ANOUNCEMENT: Before, I get to the story, I'd like to give a special shout out! The lovely thvysy had asked me a while back if she could translate this story into Chinese... Well, it has begun! So any of you who would rather read this in Chinese just visit my profile for the links! **

**Thank you to DreamsBeatReality, KlausNCaroline, Prince-Niklaus, BlownIn, Brittany, FAN, xx-MissM-xx, HemiXX, shadowfaxangel, LorenaLaufey, Curious Blonde, deceptivecadence, Aria1725, BlueJean452, angelvboo, SweetyK, arabella, SueMikaelson, soph, Clara, anon, charly007, luvit81, kendra009, PsychVamp, jennat8, KahlanDarcy, SincerelyTruly, tip of the tongue, Sci-fi Christian, CharmingWords23, Lazerlicious, epic sweetness712, thicket of kisses87, InuGnome17, Element Siren, Lily94, Kiiimberly, NoorLux, and beadedheart for reviewing! **

**And, of course thank you to thvysy!**

**Fair warning, this is one of those everything is going wrong chapters... But this is drama sooo :)**

**One more thing: I am sooooo sorry that I am late with the update; exams got the best of me :( This is the only time of the year that I take a break from FF... HOWEVER, I am officially done with tests and school for the year, so updates will be coming much faster! Maybe two or three a week ;) But that means they may be somewhat on the shorter side...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.**

Chapter 11

Who Am I Without You?

_London, England 1550_

Caroline felt momentarily comforted by the strong arms that held her up. She felt safe with him, with Klaus. But, why did she always crave such security? It was false; no one was safe with Lord Klaus. He was a killer, and would murder her on a whim, she knew. And yet she was constantly dragged in by him, pulled in like a wave returning to the ocean, even though she knew that the ocean was filled with life _and_ death.

Caroline hated being weak. She hated it with all her heart. Her father had always assumed she was weak because she was a girl, and not the second son he had wanted. Robb too had always acted as if she needed protection. _How is selling me off to practically be a slave protecting me?_

She was sick of it, of the men in her life trying to control her and succeeding because she let them. She was tired of crying and of being a child.

She was Caroline Forbes and she was _not_ weak. As her mind roared with all these thoughts, the arms around began to feel like a cage holding her down and her despair turned to anger. Furious, she pulled herself free of him, of her cage, ripping herself away. She turned her eyes to Lord Klaus, coldly.

"I do not need you here." She said monotonously as she stepped away. _It's all his fault. Robb hates me because of him. I hate me. I don't want to be this girl, the one whose heart flutters at the mere sight of a smile sent her way. _Somewhere in her subconscious, another part of her mind whispered, _but do you want your heart to turn to stone instead?_

"Love-" He began.

"No!" She exclaimed. "I do _not_ need you here. Please go." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Klaus did not move, only looked at her with sad eyes. "Why are you even here?" She shouted, frustration getting the best of her. "This wasn't part of our arrangement!"

"Neither was kissing me, love, but you took to that quite spectacularly." He mocked. Caroline was furious, he always twisted things around, making it seem more than it was. She felt her blood boil as he smirked at her, her rage rising even more when she saw the wrinkles her hands had made in his clothing when she clung to his doublet like a babe.

"At least I am not the one who so wants to be loved that he resorts to deals and trickery to get it! Did your father really hate you that much?" Her voice rang through the empty hallway. For a moment, Caroline could feel regret rising at her words as she saw the devastation crawl onto Klaus' face. But the moment passed and went and she locked her feelings down as her lord's joking look disappeared and turned into one of anger.

"You dare speak to me in such a manner? Your lord?" He snarled, approaching her. This time their proximity did not bring Caroline excitement.

"I had thought you said I was not the servant today, and you not the lord." She replied, mocking _him_ for a change. "But, I suppose with your superiority complex, I should humour you, _m'lord._"

"You will rue this day, sweetheart, believe me, if you don't stop now."

"Another said something similar to me, and, if I remember correctly your lord brother is now indisposed."

"I am very much aware; I was the one to put him in that position... for _you_." Klaus replied, and Caroline felt herself stop short. _He did save me_. Still, her anger overtook her gratitude and she did not back down.

"For me? No." She scoffed. "For my family? Yes. Breaking oath with my family would be a very bad move on your part, m'lord." At this, Klaus seemed saddened, for a slight moment, and Caroline found she didn't know what he was going to do. His face once again turned to anger, much like her own had.

"I could _bend_ you to my will." He snarled at her, using his fury as a guide.

"And yet you haven't." Came Caroline's blasé comment as she raised an eyebrow.

"True, but that does not mean I won't hurt you... or the family you hold so dear." As the words processed in her mind, Caroline took a step back, her heart freezing in her throat, anger fleeing like a sheep from a wolf.

"That would break the agreement." She said, her voice still surprisingly strong, quite the opposite of how she felt.

"Darling, I could just _compel_ them to forget... it would not be the first time I have done it." Lord Klaus' eyes tightened and his smile turned somewhat painful; almost as if bad thoughts plagued his mind.

"You wouldn't..." This time Caroline sounded as meek as she was feeling.

"Oh, wouldn't I? You have a sister do you not? A younger one, I do believe. I am sure she will do just fine." Klaus' words sparked a fury in Caroline like no other. Caroline was fiercely protective of little Laura and always had been. Since Laura's birth, she had mothered her sister and with that brought a certain maternal instinct that caused her stand for the young girl with an iron heart and, if needed, an iron fist.

"You truly are a monster. You would harm a child? My sister?" She hissed, fists clenching into tight fists as she stared into cold, blue eyes.

"I would harm any who get in the way of my plans, your sister, you brother, you. _Anyone_." Klaus loomed over her, imposing. His face was close to hers, their breath mingling. Had Caroline been at this distance before, she would have considered kissing him. Now the thought only gave her more anger, blinding her with rage.

_Smack!_

For a moment Caroline did not realize what she had done, until she felt a stinging, like a hundred pricking needles, in her hand. Glancing up at Lord Klaus, she saw he had a comically stunned look on his face that would have otherwise made her laugh, had it not been for her dire situation. His raised a hand to his cheek, the red mark quickly fading as his preternatural healing kicked in.

The glare he sent her made her heart quicken in panic.

His hand fell from his face and came down painfully on her shoulder, the tight grip sure to leave her black and blue.

"You _foolish_ girl." Her lord growled. "You stupid, blonde idiot." His other hand went to her other shoulder. "Has no one ever told you of what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you?"

His hands tightened impossibly more and Caroline felt a sudden, harsh fear freezing her veins. _He could kill me so very easily. A flick of his wrist and I would be down. Gone. Dead. _Her eyes widened as she looked into his furious, handsome face. Lord Klaus had all the power here. He was the vampire, she the human.

Lord Klaus brought his face closer to hers, and she thought that he was going to do it, that he was going to attack her. He certainly seemed angered enough.

But then, just as abruptly, he pulled back and blurred away, leaving a confused, frightened Caroline behind.

The only traces that showed he had even been there in the first place were the darkening bruises on her shoulders and the heaviness in her heart.

* * *

Klaus blurred angrily to his chambers, barking at one the serving girls to get out. He tore across his rooms, snarling in anger. As the serving girl was scurrying off, he suddenly turned and snapped in front of her.

"On second thought; stay." His fangs abruptly dropped, and he made to bite her savagely in the neck. Just as his fangs were about to pierce her soft skin, he heard her soft whimper, and it brought a picture to his mind; Caroline, after she had been attacked by Kol. Caroline as she stared up at him with fear. He backed away and his fangs faded. The girl looked up him with wide, tear-filled eyes, blue like his own. _Like Caroline's_. He growled in frustration. "Go!" He bellowed to the servant, who immediately ran off.

_Will she come into everything now?_ In a sudden bout of rage, the vampire grabbed one of the many carefully-crafted wooden chairs he owned and threw it across the room, causing it to go crashing into a wall, splintering into several pieces. _Why did I allow her to live, unharmed? Had she not disrespected me? Why do I allow her to go unpunished? _Still seething, Klaus made to grab another one when a voice stopped him.

"Tearing apart our home will not aid you, brother." Elijah said as he stood in the doorway, arms across his chest. Klaus dropped his hands and turned to the other, surprised to see his brother back at the estate.

"When did you return?" He asked lowly, a dangerous tone to him. _Why are you here?_

"What has angered you, Niklaus?" The elder replied, ignoring the question as he made his way to his younger brother.

"It is not of import; problems with the lowers." Klaus replied promptly, a sneer present on his face. Inwardly, his mind disagreed with that description of a certain human girl he knew.

"_Ah." _Elijah had a small, knowing look on his face. "I thought your little Ms. Forbes may eventually cause some conflict. She is a daring girl."

"Do not speak of her to me."

"Forgive me, I meant no offense..." Elijah was rather confused for a moment, why was his brother so concerned over a human? Niklaus did not think on such matters, they were beneath him. "You are _furious_." He said in realization. The last time Niklaus had been so angered was when Katerina had escaped... But that was because the 500-year-old curse would remain unbroken. Forever.

And yet, now, Elijah's younger brother was just as angry and Elijah wondered why. Niklaus usually remained rather untouched by the 'lowers', as he called them. Disobedience and disrespect meant death. It was not an emotive decision to his brother. The only time Niklaus dared show emotion, of any type, was for his family... or, rather, his _loved_ ones.

_It couldn't be... could it? _Elijah thought.

"By God... You _love_ her." He stated, in a tone much unlike himself.

Klaus stiffened at his older brother's words. _That is not true. It cannot be._ He turned a heated glare to the other Mikaelson. _It is impossible_. "She is nothing to me." Klaus snarled.

"If she was nothing to you, you would not react in such a way, Niklaus... You love her." He repeated.

"I hold no feelings apart from anger and disgust for that insolent child!" Klaus roared, eyes darkening as his vampire side threatened to take over.

"Then why aren't you making her suffer right now?" His brother voiced the same question Klaus had been asking himself ever since the ordeal happened. He froze, unable to come up with an explanation. "That's what I thought." Elijah continued. "You're in love, brother... and with a human..."

"She is nothing." Klaus repeated once more, his efforts futile. Suddenly, Klaus felt exhausted and leaned on the desk, his head hanging and shoulders sagging slightly as his eyes returned to their normal blue.

"She is not nothing. Not to you." Elijah said in a surprisingly soft voice. Slowly, he approached his younger brother, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. "Let me give you these words of heed, ones that you once told me yourself." Memories of Katerina and her betrayal flashed through Elijah's mind as he continued. "Love is a vampire's greatest weakness... She will be your downfall... Think on that, brother"

Elijah then walked away, leaving the other Mikaelson to his thoughts. He hoped little Caroline and Niklaus were, from now on, safe from each other.

They would have destroyed one another, he knew.

* * *

Elijah's words or, rather, Klaus' own words plagued his mind as he sat heavily in the chair he had been so ready to throw.

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness. _It was true, wasn't it?

He couldn't deny the fact that he had feelings for the blonde girl. His Caroline.

But, to love her?

Definitely not...

Still, Klaus could not help but notice that ever since he met the Forbes girl, he was less eager to feed. Now the thought of her even stopped him from having his fill of blood. He was also more forgiving, towards her and others...

He was becoming weak and he had to put a stop to it before it got out of hand.

There was only one solution; he had to get rid of her.

But the thought of her not being here, at the estate with him... It brought a wave of blinding agony to Klaus. He couldn't stand the idea of her light being gone from him. He would not do it. He could not do it.

Klaus growled to himself in helpless anger and self-loathing. Was he not known for his ruthlessness? How could he let her offenses go without recompense? He was Klaus, the most blood-thirsty of his siblings.

Why did Elijah have to burn such thoughts in his mind?

He couldn't allow this a minute longer.

He would have to face his pain. He would have to get rid of her.

It was the only way.

* * *

Caroline sat uncharacteristically quietly on her bed. She was exhausted, but she could not shut off her head, which seemed to be having fun torturing her with everything that had happened. Now that her anger had dissipated, she could not stop thinking of today's events.

Robb. Klaus.

Now they both hated her. _So why don't I hate them? They seem to be content feeling so towards me._

But, Caroline knew she could never hate her brother; he was her blood and family and, at times, her best friend. She did not hate him, and, she knew, or, rather, she hoped that his ill feelings would soon leave him. They were siblings, and though they had their spats, they always reconciled, did they not?

She hoped so. The thought of her brother never speaking to her again brought tears to her and she worked to blink them away. She shook her head to rid herself of Robb and his painful words.

Her head fell to her hands when her mind turned elsewhere, arguably somewhere more depressing.

She had thought she loathed Klaus. When she had yelled at him, she had felt nothing but anger, her fury fuelling her into believing that she did actually hate him with all her heart and mind. But now that she had calmed somewhat, she knew that she did not. She found she _could_ not.

She could not hate the monster and she did not understand why not. By all means, she had every right.

But it just wasn't in her.

The door suddenly opening caused her to nearly jump out of her skin and she whipped her head up to see her uncle's kindly eyes looking back to her. She let her head hang again, not having enough energy to make him leave. She felt the bed dip as he sat beside her, but she kept her head down, hair acting as a curtain.

"Why are you upset, Caroline, sweet?" He asked her, gentleness softening his voice.

"Do you not have any cruel words for me, as well?" She replied instead of answering, not lifting her head and missing his sad gaze.

"No, sunshine, I do not, I'm afraid." He said, adding a joking sigh to the end. She did not smile in return. "I ran into Robb who was practically steaming in his anger. What happened, dear one?"

"Nothing, Uncle. A simple spat." She whispered, causing the man to look at her, unconvinced.

"You aren't the best of liars, dear girl. I would not begin lying to me." She had enough sense to look slightly sheepish. Uncle Richard gently touched one of her arms. "Now, tell me, what happened?" Caroline sighed, knowing that her uncle would continue his gentle cajoling until she gave in, so she decided she may as well get it over with. What did it matter if one more person hated her?

"Robb he- Well, it's just..." She struggled to get the words out as Richard looked at her expectantly. "He found me... us... and Lord Klaus and I, we were, well, we were... kissing." Caroline shut her eyes tight, waiting for the wicked words that were sure to come, but the room remained strangely silent.

Hesitantly, she peeked up at him to find Richard gazing steadily at her, his expression neutral.

"I don't understand... Why do you not berate me Uncle, for being foolish or some such thing?" She asked, honestly confused as to why he was not.

"It is not my place, sweet one. You are old enough to make your own mind." She blinked at him owlishly. _Huh?_ "What happened afterwards?"

This time her 'huh' was out loud and Uncle Richard let out a chuckle. "What happened after Robb found you with the Lord Klaus?" He reiterated.

"Well... he ran off and I went after him, hoping to calm, I suppose..." Caroline trailed off for a moment. "But, he would not have it... he yelled at me, called me a 'whore'" Her voice turned to a whisper and she felt tears clog her already thick throat. "Lord Klaus came to me after, you know." She continued, clearing her throat, avoiding Richard's gaze. "To comfort me, but I pushed him away and he threatened all that I love... but, I-" She swallowed nervously. "-I cannot help but be pulled to him..." She finally turned to face the other Forbes, her tears and her misery could be heard in her voice, down to her very core. "How can I be pulled to a monster?"

It was silent for a minute, before her uncle replied to her desperate question.

"I don't think that they are all as monstrous as they seem." Caroline looked at him in surprise, Uncle Richard met her look with a small, sad smile. "The Originals are all murderers, yes. But monsters? Though they hide it well, I do not believe they are as such."

"But, if they are killers, does that not make them monsters?" She asked.

"To some, mayhap. But does not the word monster imply that they are without emotion? From what I have seen, the Mikaelsons, especially your Lord Klaus, feel more passionately than any other..." Her uncle returned, that small smile still on his face.

"Why would you think about them like that?" Caroline wondered as she thought on his words. He had a point. Had she not asked herself several times over how a monster could create art and beauty and _feel_?

"I have bared witness to their emotion before." Uncle Richard had a faraway look in his eye and did not look at her when she asked him her next question.

"But, still, should you not scold me for... caring..." She began, unsure. "...about a vampire?"

"Why would I do such a thing when I could not stop myself from the same thing?" For a second, Caroline thought she misheard her uncle's quiet murmur. _He cares for a vampire? The only one she could think of was..._

"Lady Rebekah." She stated, rather than asked, eyes widening in shock and understanding. "That is why you stayed even when your ten-year was up, that is why you obey her every whim and why you have never married..." As each new realization came to her, Uncle Richard simply nodded in agreement until she finally shut her rambling. "You care for her." She whispered, looking to her hands.

"I do... and so here I am." He stated. There was a moment of silence until he interrupted it once more, his voice musing. "I was only your age when I came here and Lady Rebekah... she was kind and beautiful and utterly lonely; still is." Uncle Richard glanced down at her. "She talked with me, telling tales of eras long passed and of her family. She felt so alone, and, gradually, I grew to love her, though I have never admitted my affection. She sees me as little more than simple servant, sometimes friend. But I settle for it, so long as I can make her a little less lonely..."

Caroline was struck by how devastatingly young her uncle looked as he spoke of his feelings; he was only 28 years of age and yet he spoke like a man twice his age. Caroline felt her respect grow at this new revelation. She reached out and carefully took her uncle's hand, gently squeezing it. Uncle Richard smiled in return, before standing and leaving a kiss to the top of her head.

"You will figure this out, sunshine, of this I am sure..." He made his way to the door, but paused and looked back at her. "But, please, do not let your own affection control your life like it has mine."

Caroline wasn't sure how to do that.

* * *

Rebekah wandered aimlessly around in the long halls of her family estate, deep in thought. She was, once again, left alone. Her brothers were busy as usual and Klaus was off with Caroline so she could not even go to the human girl. She considered going to Richard, as she sometimes did, but she had seen how exhausted he was as of late and decided it might be best to let him have some time to himself.

It was times like these that she missed Kol because, for all his misgivings, he never left her alone. Yes, he would usually try to annoy her out of her senses, and, much to her shame, it usually worked but he kept her company all the same.

Rebekah thought that maybe he got lonely too. She thought that maybe that was why he split off from her and her other brothers.

And now he was daggered. Resting dead.

And Rebekah had only loneliness to keep her company.

So she decided to pay her resting brother a visit. She knew she could not risk his awakening, though; the Mikaelson temper was a dangerous thing and Kol was sure to be angry.

But that did not mean she could sit with him a bit.

Before she had another thought she was down in the basement, her vampire speed bringing her there. She was in one of the many rooms of the basement standing over a mahogany coffin, its wood shining in the candlelight. She ran her lightly over its surface.

"Kol, you never do know to keep out of trouble." She murmured as her fingers trailed to the bottom of the lid, opening it, fully expecting to see her brother's desiccated face. Only she didn't. She didn't see anything at all.

There was nothing there.

The coffin was empty.

Rebkah backed away, stumbling slightly as she turned.

"Nik!"

**Yes I know; one step forward two steps back... I just couldn't help but feel that Caroline and Klaus both have strong personalities and those will clash once in a while. I just realized that I have written over 150 pages for this story... and they still haven't gotten together. IT WILL HAPPEN SOON.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 19/08/12**


	13. Wounds Fade, Scars Stay

**Thanks to Amka2, arabella, Diabolo Framboise, Kiiimberly, kendra009, lily94, angelvboo, chiara, HemiXX, BlueJean452, shadowfaxangel, Clara, KlarolineFullStop, KlausNCaroline, Missy, KahlanDarcy, meagainpauline, criminal-intent, MysteryDream3, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, PsychVamp, Lazerlicious, chey1235, LorenaLaufey, MaddAlice, EternalFlame0410, InuGnome17, Curious Blonde, Sci-fi Christian, thicket of kisses87, ShayShay305, and epic sweetness712 for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries :(**

Chapter 12

Wounds Fade, Scars Stay

_South of England, 1550_

They sat at a dining table, both holding a cup of wine laced with sweet blood. If one looked from far, they could have been siblings, with their dark hair and eyes. But, up close, you noticed the many differences and the disdain they held for one another.

"Come now, Katerina, they are sitting ducks!" Kol exclaimed, his frustration getting the best of him.

"Patience. We will go when the time is right." Katerina replied, a dark smirk playing on her lips.

"When the time is bloody _right_?" If he could afford it, the older vampire would've ripped her smug little head off. Alas, he would have to settle for imagining it. Over and over. "They could find out I am missing at any moment and you want to wait until the time is _right_?" His question ended in a shout, and the vampire stood slamming his fist down on the table, causing it to crack. Katerina let out an annoyed sigh.

"Fine, then." The brunette said as she watched her companion sit down, satisfied. "We will commence our attack within the week."

This time it was Kol who smirked.

* * *

_London, England 1550_

"What do you _mean_ Kol has _escaped_?" Klaus snarled, looking at his younger sister who seemed uncharacteristically panicked.

"His coffin is empty, Nik! What do you think I mean?" She exclaimed, frustrated. Elijah laid a calming hand on her shoulder, as he continued to listen worriedly to their conversation.

After hearing Rebekah calling for both Niklaus and himself, they had snapped to the basement, where she was waiting by the stairwell. She had immediately led them to the coffin room, and told them what had happened, leading to a heated argument between the two younger of the three.

"When I found out who took part in this, I will _rip _out their _throats_!" Klaus' growl was even more savage than usual, his anger intensifying as his already bad day took a turn for the worse.

"Where could he have gone?" Rebekah asked herself, wondering. "How did we not see?"

"It is not any fault of yours, little sister." Elijah cut in, watching as she paced back and forth. "He was daggered, we had no reason to check on him."

"Kol does not have many allies, Elijah, who could have let him out?" Rebekah ignored his reassurances, knowing they were not going to make her feel any less guilty than she already was.

"Probably his damned manservant." Klaus took a break from his seething to turn calculating eyes on his siblings. "Those bloody Forbes', more trouble than they're worth…" They heard him mutter.

"That could be, none have seen him since Kol's daggering." The eldest Mikaelson stated.

"Or…" Rebekah raised her voice in horrified realization. "Maybe someone _took_ him, against his will." She felt her panic rise, because, though she tried to hide it as much as could, she loved _all_ her brothers and did not like to see them hurt… well, by _others_, at least.

But, it was possible, wasn't it? The Originals had no shortage of enemies, any of them would be willing to kidnap Kol and try to have some sort of advantage on them.

"Don't be a fool, Bekah." Klaus said. "We would have had some sort of demand by now. No, Kol went of his own free will, I know it." There was a moment of silence as they all considered his words. "Damn it all!" He suddenly shouted, punching a hand hard into one of the stone walls, creating a hole nearly elbow deep.

"Niklaus." Klaus turned to Elijah, a crazed anger in his eyes. "I suggest we discuss these matters elsewhere, perhaps question some of the servants as to Kol's whereabouts." Elijah's voice was ever calm and it had an affect on his brother and sister, who nodded in consent, knowing there was not much else they could do from here.

"Very well then, brother." As they all began to walk back to the main floors of the estate, Klaus' next words stopped them. "But, bear in mind, if either of you had anything to do with dear Kol's release, I will not hesitate to take _drastic_ action." His siblings could not deny the truth in his words.

* * *

Rebekah sighed heavily as she made her way up the stairs to the Forbes' quarters. Why Nik couldn't do this _himself_, she didn't know… Normally, she would have simply refused him, but her brother was in quite the mood today and she knew better than to cross him at times like these. _Wouldn't want another daggering to take place, now would we?_

As she entered the center room that divided the separate chambers, she found Richard sitting there in a comfortable-looking sofa, reading in the candlelight.

Night had long since fallen and she wished for nothing more than to have some rest. This day had taken its toll on everyone. She had gone to the coffins to seek comfort and instead found a horrible truth. Deep in thought, she barely noticed Richard getting up and swiftly bowing.

"M'lady?" Came his concerned voice. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she straightened minutely, making herself seem the ancient creature she was.

"Good, you are awake. Fetch your niece and nephew for me, would you?" She asked, her own voice tight and without emotion. Richard looked at her hesitantly for a moment, before once again bowing respectively and going into two of the rooms.

Several minutes later, he returned with Caroline and Robb in tow, both of whom looked frazzled with sleep. It also didn't escape her notice the careful distance Robb was keeping from his sister, and how he refused to look at the younger Forbes. Not to mention, the pained looks Caroline kept giving her older brother. Rebekah filed this information away for later, but, for now, she had more important things to attend to.

"You requested us, m'lady?" Robb said taking a step forward, looking as if he wished to be anywhere but there. _He is not the only one._

"Yes, I bring… _news_." This caught the attention of the small family in front of her as they all looked at her expectantly. "My brother, Kol, has gone missing."

The silence that overtook the group was so quiet that if a pin had dropped, they all would have heard it.

"You mean Lord Kol… He…?" Caroline's face had lost all color as she struggled to get words out, eventually giving up. Richard put a hand on her shoulder, obviously worried for his niece.

"Yes. He is no longer incapacitated." Rebekah answered, trying to save the other girl the trouble. "We are unsure whether or not he escaped or was taken… But, we do know that if he _did_ escape he will most likely try to take vengeance on, well, on you Caroline."

"Me?" Caroline's voice was high-pitched in worry.

"You have offended him, and Kol does not take well to offense. And he was daggered because he harmed _you_." Rebekah's voice lowered a bit, trying to soften the blow of her words; she knew how much words could hurt.

Caroline looked as if she could collapse, but she stayed on her feet and Rebekah felt a strange pride for her only female companion; she was not short of courage. Rebekah observed quietly as Robb finally looked to his sister, a hidden concern in his eyes. Others may not have noticed, but she had always been able to read people, an ability Nik liked to call as supernatural as her.

Robb placed a hand on Caroline's other shoulder, causing the girl to glace up at her brother in shock. Robb did not look back but instead met the vampire's gaze steadily.

"I thank you for informing us, m'lady." He stated, bowing his head slightly. Rebekah simply nodded and turned to go, knowing they needed a while to themselves.

* * *

Caroline was led to back to her chambers, surprisingly, by Robb. He had gone from completely ignoring her to helping her out. She was confused to say the least. Still, she said nothing and let him propel her forward. She was too drained to do anything else.

Could this day possibly be any worse?

He sat her down on her bed, before crouching before her, concern in his face. She hadn't even noticed her hands had begun to shake until Robb covered them with his own.

"I thought you hated me." She stated, weakly. It took a moment for him to answer.

"I don't hate you. I am angry, angrier than I have ever been… but I don't hate you." He sighed, rising back into a stand. He made for the door, once again avoiding looking at her.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked abruptly, causing him to freeze. He turned back to her with shock in his eyes.

"You are in _danger_, Caroline. Much as I am sometimes loathe to admit it, you are my little sister, I cannot simply leave you to be hurt." His voice was pained, as if he hadn't expected her surprise at his aid. _Does she really think so low of me?_ "Sleep now. I will talk with you on the morrow." He swiftly walked out of her room, shutting the door firmly.

"Robb, wait!" She exclaimed, getting up, but the door was already closed.

She had wanted a chance to explain, to apologize again, to do something to fix the rift between her and her brother. But, she couldn't, and he wouldn't let her, anyways.

With a heavy heart, she lay back down in bed, trying to make herself rest but knowing she would not get a wink of sleep tonight.

* * *

Rebekah knew she should take her chance to get some rest, but her worried mind made her feet move away from her own chambers and instead to her brother's; to Nik's. She didn't bother knocking and just walked straight in, finding her brother sitting in front of his drawing table staring blankly into space. She approached him, stopping when she stood next to him.

"Nik has stopped painting, it's a miracle." She said, vainly trying to lighten the mood.

"What do you want, Bekah?" He sighed in return, turning to face her. His question caught her off-guard for a second; she had come to check on him, she realized, but she couldn't tell _him_ that, so instead she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I have informed the Forbes servants." She noticed Nik's jaw tightening the tiniest bit and immediately knew what was plaguing him. Like she said, she was good at reading people, and, in certain things, her brothers were practically open books to her. "You are worried about her, aren't you?"

"No." He retorted resolutely, lying through his teeth. She simply raised a disbelieving eyebrow. In a rare show of admittance, Klaus sighed. "Yes. But I should not be. She had been nothing but trouble to me." _And I had told myself I would get rid of her, _Klaus thought, deciding to keep that little fact to himself.

"Sometimes the most admirable things are only trouble at first… After all, if everything came easily, what would be the worth of it?" Rebekah replied, for once sounding her true age, the wise tone of her voice at odds with her youthful looks. Nik simply looked at her quietly, face once again unreadable, even to his only sister.

It had been a while since they had truly talked, as siblings. They were used to each other's company, yes, but eventually conversation had dulled during the years. Still, it was in these moments that she knew he still needed her.

"Perhaps." He said before standing with a sigh. His reply disappointed Rebekah, who had wanted a more clear answer. He was so difficult sometimes. "You seem tired, sister, you should get some rest." He pecked her quickly on the temple before walking into his bedroom without another word.

As she walked to her own bedroom, Rebekah's thoughts swirled in her mind. _Just when I start getting him to open up, he shuts down again._ She scoffed to herself. _Stubborn fool with his stupid mood swings._ She wished she knew more about what was bothering Nik, but getting information from him was never easy.

She supposed she would have to try again another day.

_Brothers_.

Thank the heavens she at least had Elijah, he seemed to be the only relatively normal one in the family.

And _he_ had funny hair.

* * *

The next few days saw the estate in an uproar; many servants had been questioned or compelled. Elijah had been in and out, searching for their brother, Klaus at times joining him, but keeping his search closer to home. Even Rebekah took part.

It was in a rare moment of quiet that Klaus sat alone in his chambers, the setting sun bathing the room in a golden-pink light. He had done everything he could to locate Kol. He had had most of London searched, met with some old contacts, even found a witch or two. Everyone brought back the same answer; Kol had mysteriously disappeared.

Klaus _hated _it when that happened, when people went 'missing' on him. Despised it with all of his being.

Still he had an eternity. And he would find Kol.

But the thought of Kol on the loose brought to mind another person with whom he had been having trouble: _Caroline_.

He had been so ready and prepared to send her away for good, erase all her memory of him and of the estate. Or, if it came to it, he had been ready to end her life.

But now, he knew his little brother would want revenge on the girl, the _woman_, who slighted him.

And he could not send her away without protection. He just _couldn't_.

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness._ Klaus now knew the words to be truer than he had ever thought they could be.

Not that he loved her.

Still, now he was unsure as of what to _do_ with her.

As his mind mulled over his predicament, he settled back, knowing it would be a long night. He suddenly hoped Rebekah was right, that it would be all worth it in the end.

He was beginning to feel less and less inclined to feel it was so.

* * *

Caroline stood nervously in front of the oak door, trying to gather her courage to her for what she wanted to do.

She had spent the last few days going about her duties as normally as possible but her mind was always plagued and she could not turn her thoughts off. There were a few recurring ideas that would simply not leave, or, rather, recurring people.

Kol.

And Klaus.

Kol kept on her mind for obvious reasons; he could be after her, right this second, and she would not know. But, Klaus… Klaus seemed to be even more on her mind than his brother. She could not stop seeing his pained face when she had brought up his father in their argument. She could not help but to remember her cruel words and his own.

She was still angry with him; he had threatened her family, her _sister,_ how could she not be? But, a part of her felt guilty as well, she knew he was not the only one at fault. She had been the one to initiate the fight and had been unnecessarily harsh on him.

Which is what led to her current conundrum as she stood in front of his door. She wanted to talk to him, ask him why he himself did not come tell her about Kol, ask him if he hated her now.

Tentatively, she raised her a fist, ready to knock. She stopped before her hand could hit the wood, however, her confidence fading. What if her visit only led to more yelling, what if he made good on his threats? Sighing, she took a step back.

She knew she had to see him, but maybe… maybe she was not ready to.

She turned and walked away.

_Some rest will do me good_. Still, she knew she would be dreaming of blue eyes tonight.

* * *

Klaus waited anxiously by the door, listening to her soft breathing, wondering whether or not she would come in. He had been thinking of her non-stop, still unsure what he should do. He knew the logical thing was to simply get rid of her and it _was_ his original plan. He knew he should simply listen to his rationality. Maybe he could even let Kol just take her, that would certainly solve his problems.

But, just as before, every time the thought came to him, it brought him a fresh wave of pain.

No, he would keep her, for a while, he decided. Just a little while longer.

He could hear the sound of her heartbeat, her shallow breathing as she stood on the other side of the door. For a moment he thought she would enter, but his hopes soon turned to disappointment as he heard her footsteps going the other direction.

What else could he expect from her? He suddenly thought, angry. She had disappointed him many times over now, but he let her be?

Well there seemed to only one explanation. Clearly, he was losing his mind. _Wouldn't Kol just love to find out he was right all along about his elder brother's 'insanity'?_

With a growl, he himself turned and walked away from the door.

* * *

Caroline woke up feeling cold, she did not know why but she felt as if something bad were about to happen. Glancing to her window, she saw it was still dark, the moonlight barely giving illumination into her room. A shiver ran up her spine as a particularly cool breeze passed over her.

_I could have sworn I closed the window before retiring._

Standing up, she got out of bed and pulled the window shut, drawing the curtains closed. The ominous feeling did not yet leave her.

The room was barely lit now as she padded back to her bed, slipping under the covers, trying to warm herself. She did not notice the silhouette of someone standing by her door until she was completely lying down. She snapped back up, heart jumping to her throat as she prepared to yell out her loudest scream.

Before she managed to get it out, however, the person blurred to her, pushing her roughly back down, hand over her mouth. Caroline's eyes widened as she finally made out who was standing over her.

It was a _woman_.

She had thought it had to be Kol, who else had cause to hurt her? The woman soon smirked at her as Caroline tried in vain to fight back.

"Sh, sh, now, dear one. Wouldn't want to wake up your masters, now would we?" The woman's voice was sickly sweet, the menace underneath it showing her for the predator she was. Caroline struggled some more, managing to get a hand up but the woman soon noticed and pinned her down harder, chuckling darkly. "My, my, aren't we feisty? I see why he _likes_ you… Too bad for you."

The woman moved her face closer to Caroline's, the smirk fading away.

"You must wonder why I am doing this… It's rather simple really. He took away what I loved most and so _I_ will take away what _he_ most loves. At first it was going to be his family _but_ they are just as old and strong as he, so that was not to be an option, unfortunately…" She paused for a moment. "But then _you_. The little human girl that managed to steal an unfeeling heart. You are the _perfect _choice, weak as you are"

Caroline gulped, her heart beginning to race. This woman was going to _kill_ her, she realised. She was going to die and she could not stop it. Her skin raised in goose bumps at the brunette's cruel laugh.

"That's enough of my talk now, I don't have that much time, you see. A bore, I know." The woman looked at her, considering. "I suppose you are vervain-filled…" She sighed. "Pity."

For a moment Caroline naïvely thought that she would survive after all, since the woman did nothing. It was not a second later that hands wrapped tightly around her throat, the strength in her fingers sure to leave dark bruises. As her airway closed Caroline began to struggle even more frantically, tears springing to her eyes as her throat began burn in its need for oxygen. But the air wouldn't come.

She couldn't breathe.

As her vision began fading in and out, she found herself wishing she had had the courage to go talk to Klaus after all.

* * *

Katerina smirked as the girl underneath her stopped struggling, the gurgling becoming less and less apparent. _It won't be long now_. The vampire felt stronger than ever; she was finally getting the vengeance she had so longed for and it was happening right under Klaus' nose.

As the girl's heartbeat began to slow, her grin widened. _Almost_.

Just as she was about to tighten her grip to finish her off, she was roughly ripped off the human and thrown back. In her surprise, she did not manage to slow herself and hit the wall at full force. With an angered growl, she whipped her head up to face her attacker.

Her surprise turned to utter shock before turning to fury as she watched her attacker bend over Caroline, checking her pulse. "What is this?" She hissed, standing. The man's smirk could rival her own.

"Sorry, darling, but no deal." Kol said.

**I do so love cliffhangers, sorry :) All your questions will be answered… next chapter, which will be out either on Friday or in the weekend :D This chapter is shorter than usual, but I couldn't think of a better place to end it.**

**Anyways, before I go I just wanted to tell you all about those oneshots that I mentioned a couple weeks before. I just posted a klaroline one that I am actually rather proud of, so, if you have a moment, feel free to check it out!**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think :)**

**RW**

**Edited 18/08/12**


	14. In The Dark

**Thank you to Sophie, Lord of Sin, meagainpauline, Babi, Anikaaa, criminal-intent, BlueJean452, arabella, PsychVamp, MysteryDream3, angel1725, DreamsBeatReality, affy91, EternalFlame0410, Lazerlicious, Sci-fi Christian, Kat7CA, beverlie4055, LorenaLaufey, refreshedlove, angelvboo, xTheUnforbiddenxs2, InuGnome17, Katieladie1, Clara, epic sweetness712, BiancaR, HemiXX, hann9, ShayShay305, Curious Blonde, KahlanDarcy, KlarolineFullStop, lily94, Anna, the sceptical muppet (x2), Amka2, Missy, xmara, and thyvsy for reviewing. Also, thanks to all you subscribers! You are all amazing :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 13

In The Dark

_London, England 1550_

"What is this?" Katherine hissed, her eyes burning in utter rage.

"Sorry, darling, but no deal." Kol replied, an infuriating smirk on his face. He had laid the unconscious Caroline down gently on her bed and was now standing in front of her, protectively.

"What do you mean, _no deal?_" The brunette looked downright menacing, even standing across from a vampire more than three times her age. Still, said vampire simply stood, smirk still on his face.

"Really, Katerina, I had thought you to be clever… then again, you chose to attack my family, so, clearly not." Kol mocked, eyebrow raised.

"Your brother _killed_ my family!" She returned, anger increasing tenfold.

"True, but you really should not have run." Katherine took a breath, knowing she would get nowhere from this line of reasoning, so she decided to change her tactics.

"He _daggered_ you, and I am the one that orchestrated your release. You owe me." She stated.

"I owe you nothing." His smirk disappeared and his eyes flashed. "You simply knew you would not stand a chance against my siblings without me."

"We made a deal!" Katherine bit back.

"What? That you kill the girl and I kill Nik and we both get our revenge?" Kol barked back at her, angrily. "Do you take me for a fool? We both know I would not have made it out of that _alive_. My dear brother would have just daggered me again." His gaze fell heavily on Katherine, hard and full of barely concealed rage. "Contrary to popular belief, I do learn from things and I have, now, learned that the best way to stay out of the coffin is to _not_ turn against my family."

"You would protect her? That human, the very same one who slighted you?" She shifted a bit to the side, her voice constrained in anger.

"Did you not just hear a word I have said? I will not turn against my family, no matter how much I sometimes wish to. And this human, for some reason, is important to my brother…" He ground out the last part, annoyed at his own situation. "He would be _very_ upset, should I harm her."

"If you were planning on betraying me from the start, why did you not stop me before?" Katherine had slowly been moving to the window, trying to distract the other vampire who was currently bathing in self-satisfaction, smug with victory.

"As I said, I am no fool, I knew you had you're witches on me the minute I ended up in your grasp." Katherine now stood directly in front of the closed window, her back to it, but Kol stayed where he was, knowing that if he moved an inch, she would either make her escape or attempt to attack Caroline again. He was fast, but _she_ was cunning.

"How do you not know that I do not still have my witches on you?" She asked, glancing subtly from side to side.

"Oh, I know that you have yet to make them turn their attentions elsewhere…" Here, Kol paused and his smirk reappeared, wider than ever. "What _you_ do not know is that this estate is one of our oldest and one of the most protected. You're witches' spells are rendered useless here, only those loyal to Mikaelsons can perform their magic in this place."

"A barrier spell." Katherine stated in realization, eyes widening. She couldn't believe _she_ had been played for such a _fool_!

"Witches… Useful little things, aren't they?" He chuckled a little and crossed his arms, face darkening menacingly. "You really should not have tried to cross an Original, darling." They were now in a stalemate, neither making the next move.

There was a moment of silence until it was broken by a loud voice coming from the doorway.

"I second that notion." Klaus growled, blue eyes dark with fury.

* * *

Klaus prided himself on many things. He prided himself on being strong, on being wicked, clever. He also liked to believe that he was always two steps ahead.

He _hated_ it when he wasn't.

When he had felt Caroline's fear and panic, he immediately knew his brother must have returned, ready to finish the job he started. Through his own panic, though he would deny ever feeling as such later, he had run fast as he could, commanding a passing servant to wake his other siblings. He felt his heart constrict in dread when Caroline's feelings began to fade from him, mere whispers of what they were before. He forced himself to go faster.

As he neared her bedroom, the first thing he heard was a shallow heartbeat. He had slacked in relief. _Caroline_. She was alive.

The next thing heard was a voice. Well, _voices_, plural.

_Kol_ and _Katerina._

Klaus should have expected this. He should have expected the woman to return; he should have known the best place to hide from someone who you were running from was to follow that person, not run the other direction.

She was smart, he would give her that. Katherine had freed his brother and now they were both working against him.

As he caught onto their conversation, he heard Katherine speak of betrayal, Kol's betrayal, but not the betrayal of his family, but rather Katherine herself.

This second revelation came as another surprise to Klaus, momentarily stunning him and causing him to slow a little. He was so sure Kol would turn against him. Yet now he was hearing of his younger brother's rather ingenious plan to fool the other vampire. Klaus looked at the dagger in his hand for a moment, the one that would have put Kol down. But, now, he realized he would not need it. His brother was on the winning side. He really was as much a Mikaelson as the rest of them. Sly and loyal.

"_A barrier spell." _Klaus heard Katerina say. Yes, he was quite glad he had thought to put that around the estate.

"_Witches… Useful little things, aren't they?"_ Klaus was now at the door, pushing it open. _"You really should not have tried to cross an Original, darling."_

"I second that notion." Klaus himself announced from his stance in the doorway, causing both the vampires to look at him in shock.

The first thing he saw, however, was Caroline lying on her bed, her pallid face looking even more pale than usual. She seemed as if she could be a sleeping angel, her blond locks spread around her head, her face without a trace of worry. The image was ruined by the spread of bruises marring her throat and the fact he could barely hear her breathing.

The second thing Klaus saw was his brother, standing in front Caroline. His stance was defensive, rather than offensive and it was something Klaus never thought he would see from Kol.

The third thing he noticed was Katerina, the vampire he had been after for near sixty years, standing by the window, looking utterly panicked. She shifted on her feet, anxiously, her eyes terrified as she spotted Klaus. _Got you now, _he thought darkly.

"Katerina." He hissed. "You should not have returned here."

Klaus abruptly glanced back to Caroline as he heard her breathing turn even more shallow and, unconsciously, he took a step to the injured girl, concerned. It angered him even more to know that Caroline had been so gravely injured, and now he knew it had been the work of Katherine. Furious, he began approaching the brunette vampire, preparing to pull her limb from limb as he felt his fangs extending from his teeth, sharpening to a deadly point.

Suddenly, the door banged open again, and, in surprise, everyone turned to look at the door to see Rebekah and Elijah standing there.

Their arrival came as a distraction; it was only the smallest opening, the slightest chance, but Katherine took it. She immediately reached for the bag of vervain she had spotted lying on the bedside table and threw it on Kol, who was closest to her. The powder exploded onto his face, and Kol let out a pained bellow as his face burned. Then, without another thought, she turned and dived out the window, breaking the glass.

Klaus turned back when he heard Kol's scream, causing him to see Katherine jumping out the window. With a growl, he made to go after her, only to hear Caroline's fight to breathe becoming more and more weak. If he went after Katherine, there was a very real chance Caroline's fight could stop completely.

He couldn't let that happen.

"Get her." He snarled at Elijah, who immediately jumped out the window and after the other vampire.

"What about Kol?" Rebekah asked, gesturing to their brother, whose face was already beginning to heal of the vervain burns.

"Leave him. He's with us." Klaus said distractedly, already standing beside Caroline. He ran his fingers gently across her throat, feeling her choking. "Her throat's been crushed." He realized. What Klaus also realized was that, if he didn't do something, she would soon run out of air.

Quickly, he bit deep into his wrist, tearing into it. Gently placing a hand behind her head, he lifted her up a bit, trying to force-feed her his blood. If he could get just a few drops into her crushed throat, then maybe it would begin already healing enough that she could drink the rest. "Come on, sweetheart, _drink_." His voice held a tone of quiet desperation, even as the first few drops entered her mouth.

For a moment, Klaus felt his panic overwhelm him. Caroline was going to die. She would be forever gone from him. Already a hole was beginning to form in him, grief bubbling to the surface.

All of these feelings disappeared in one fell swoop and turned to utter relief as he felt her latch on to his wrist and his blood flowed freely into her mouth.

"That's my girl." He murmured as he moved to sit himself down on her bed, pulling her so she rested against chest, his wrist still held to her mouth. Once he saw that the bruises were fading, he took his arm carefully from her, but he did not move away. Instead, he allowed her to lean against him as her breathing returned to normal.

Klaus suddenly became aware of the other two vampires in the room, observing them with interest. Just as he was about to say a few words to his younger siblings, Elijah returned, blurring back through the window.

He landed gracefully on the floor, empty-handed though he was.

"I could not catch her, Niklaus. She had witches waiting for her just outside the property, beyond our own barrier. The blocked her from me; I could not follow her." Elijah stated, sounding surprisingly frustrated and angered, out of character for such a usually calm person.

Klaus glanced back down to Caroline, fast asleep against his chest. Her face was returning to its normal color, the light blush that seemingly always graced her cheeks coming back. Still, he could detect small traces of bruising along her throat as it finished healing.

"When I find her, and I will, there will be no end to her suffering. I will rip her apart." Klaus' voice was deceptively calm, but the underlying tone of menace was enough to make anyone quiver in their boots.

"I will help you, brother." Rebekah added in, stepping forward. "She attacked one under our protection, we cannot let that stand." The blonde girl was extremely glad the Katherine had failed in her mission to kill Caroline.

"I will, as well." Elijah said quietly, nodding from where he stood. Klaus inclined his head a little, showing his appreciation, before glancing at his youngest brother, somewhat expectantly.

"I want to make the bitch suffer as much as the rest of you." Kol put his hands up in an appeasing manner. "She vervained me, essentially kept me hostage… I'd say I have more reason to want her dead than you lot." His face was still slightly red from where it had been burned as he let out another infamous smirk.

"There's no need to be so dramatic, Kol." Rebekah put in, slightly rolling her eyes. "Now come on, you need blood, you can explain yourself at another time." Quickly nodding to Nik, knowing he needed time alone with Caroline, she pulled Kol out of the room.

As his siblings exited, Klaus looked back down at Caroline, smiling a little when he saw that she attached herself to him, her hand wound into his shirt. From the corner of his eye, he saw Elijah also heading to the door.

"Elijah." He called, not looking up. "Find her." Is all he said, knowing that Elijah knew exactly what he meant. Another second later, Klaus finally looked up, his eyes burning with ferocity. "Find Katerina and bring her to me."

Elijah nodded stiffly, and walked out.

Klaus looked back at Caroline again. He knew he should probably leave and get the full story from Kol but he could not bear to. He had almost lost his little human girl tonight. He had almost lost her again only a week prior. It made Klaus realize a frightening thing. It made him realize that for all her strength, Caroline was still mortal and that the very thing that kept her standing also weakened her: her humanity.

Carefully, he brought up a hand and stroked her brow, pushing a stray curl behind her ear. Softly, he wondered to himself how he let someone like her affect him so utterly. Normally, he would wince and deny such a thing, or he would simply get rid of the thing that affected him.

But now, Klaus knew he could not. He could not let her go. The thought both frightened and excited him, but as he felt her turn her head into his chest, he knew it was the right thing.

_There is no one like her._

* * *

Before Rebekah and Kol could even make it to the stairs, they were interrupted by the opening of a door as a man got out of his chambers, hair mussed from sleep, clothes hurriedly thrown on. All traces of sleep went away, however, when the man spotted Kol.

"M'lady." Richard said respectfully, before turning and throwing a heated glare at her brother. It was odd seeing such a look of anger on the face of someone who was normally so kind. "If I you mind not my asking, what is _he_ doing here?"

"Go down and get you're blood." Rebekah said quietly to Kol, who quickly blurred away, hungry as he was. She then turned to her manservant. "My brother is not against us, in fact, he saved your niece tonight."

"Caroline? Is she alright?" Richard's voice suddenly turned panicked as he tried to get into her room, wanting to check up on the girl. Rebekah quickly blocked him, placing a calming hand on one of his shoulders, looking up at his taller frame.

"She'll be fine. She's resting now, Nik is with her." She tried to keep her voice normal, but it was difficult. She was unused to seeing Richard so… emotional. He was usually such a calming presence, even when he had been more boy than man. Softly, she began pushing him the other direction, a hand on his arm.

"What happened, m'lady?" He asked her, eyes full of unhidden worry.

"Everything will be explained on the morrow." Rebakah evaded as she wasn't even sure herself. Once they returned to his bedroom door, she let go of his arm, taking a step back. "Tell your nephew of what has happened."

She turned abruptly, making her way to Elijah who was waiting by the stairs for her, after he left Caroline's room. Before she made to him, she heard Richard call back to her.

"Lady Rebekah." She looked over shoulder at him, eyebrow raised. "Thank you."

"Why do you thank me?" She asked, confused.

"For telling me of the situation, and for whatever part you had in my niece's rescue." Rebekah stood quietly for a second before smiling at him and nodding once. She then walked back to Elijah and they descended the stairs together.

* * *

Caroline had never felt so comfortable in her bed before. In fact, she had never felt so comfortable in her life. In her sleep she felt secure and without worry. It was something that came as a rarity nowadays. But, now, she felt something inside her, warming her to her core.

It was why she didn't wish to wake up.

Still, she stirred, blinking her eyes open languidly, barely seeing the sunlight drifting through the window. Groaning, she buried her face back into her pillow.

Her _moving_ pillow.

Quickly, she snapped her head up only to find herself looking into the sleeping face of Lord Klaus. Her eyes widened in shock as a blush rose furiously to her cheeks. Lord Klaus was in her bed. With her.

This was not happening.

Yet, the sight of him brought back the memories of the night before. The woman, attacking her, _suffocating_ her. That horrible feeling of not being able to breath, her lungs exploding in their need for air. Then, black. Just darkness.

_What happened yesterday?_

As she awoke more properly, she also began to realize just what position she was in. She was lying _on top_ of Lord Klaus, her head resting on his chest, one leg thrown over his, hand holding his shirt. She was also surprised to find that one of his arms held her to him tightly; his other hand was on top of hers where it lay on his chest. Her blush brightened in embarrassment, warming her face. _No wonder I'm so comfortable,_ a traitorous part of her brain thought.

Moving as gently as she could, she peered back up to Klaus' face. In sleep, he looked so peaceful, young. It was refreshing to see him free of his façade. Still, no matter how comfortable she was or how much she wished to stay where she was, she had to get out of his arms; it was improper for her to be with him in this way, or in _any_ way at all.

Besides, she _really_ needed to know what happened.

Quietly, for she could not bear to wake him, she tried to pull herself out of her lord's grasp. The minute she moved, a little too much to his liking it seemed, his grip on her tightened. Struggling for a few seconds more, she gave up. It was useless. She was only human and he a centuries-old vampire. She was simply not physically strong enough.

She managed to a move a single hand to her throat, however, looking for traces of a wound only to find no such thing. _What happened?_ Subconsciously, as she tried to find more memories of the night prior, her hand that was under his traced patterns on his chest.

She didn't even realize when his hand tightened around hers, so, when she glanced back up at him to notice him staring right back, she had shrieked, startled. Immediately, she leapt into a sitting position, his arms finally letting her loose, only to almost fall off the bed in the process. Luckily, Klaus kept hold of one of her hands, and, sitting up himself, pulled her properly back onto the bed.

There was a moment of complete silence. It was so quiet between them that Caroline could hear the birdsong from the outside clear as a bell.

"Well, that was quite the wakeup, sweetheart." Klaus suddenly stated. Impossibly, Caroline felt her embarrassment increase even more. She backed up a little, trying not to get her legs caught in the sheets, frowning as she saw Klaus looking at her, amusedly. Once she gathered her wits about her, she cleared her throat, trying to ignore the fact that her hair was probably mussed terribly and that she was only wearing a thin, white shift.

"May I ask, m'lord, what you are doing in my bed?" Caroline asked, primly, not daring to look at him.

"You were attacked, Caroline, by one of my enemies." Caroline immediately noticed his voice darkening, his tone turning threatening.

"The woman…" She whispered to herself. "I was certain I would die… I was certain I would die without-" Abruptly, she changed her direction of thoughts, knowing that the way she was going would only cause trouble. "How did I survive, m'lord?" She asked instead.

"You were rescued by my brother, as it were. I arrived to find you both, along with _her_." He almost spit out the last part, his face a mask of wrath.

"I must be sure to give my thanks to Elijah then, m'lord." She replied.

"It was not Elijah who saved you… It was Kol."

"What?" Caroline asked, so stunned that her question came out rather rudely. "Forgive me, m'lord, it is just… Kol? I had thought he wanted vengeance on me." To say she was utterly confused was an understatement.

"It seems that he was not so unwise as to betray me twice… and, _please_, call me Klaus." The vampire replied.

"So, he was not after me?" Her question came out tentatively.

"No, he was not."

"And the woman?" Caroline still refused to say his name.

"She escaped." She felt her heart fall, slightly panicked at the thought of _her_ out in the world. "My siblings and I will find her soon enough, however. There is nowhere she will be able to hide." The menacing tone came back for a fleeting moment.

"If I may, m'lo-_Klaus_, what _are_ you doing in my bed?" Caroline burst out again, not only wondering how he got there, but also if she had _asked_ him to be there.

"Your injuries were severe, Caroline." He replied carefully, as if to gage her reaction. When she said nothing, he continued. "They could very well have been fatal." Oddly, Klaus sounded rather pained as he said this. "I had to give you my blood…" He paused. "When I was sure you had begun the healing process, I took away my wrist but… I could not leave you here alone, unprotected, after what had happened, and you were sleeping so soundly…" He said, gruffly, avoiding her eyes slightly. "If you are uncomfortable, I would be happy to leave."

"That... That is quite alright, Klaus. There is no need to observe all of the formalities now, it seems we have broken all the boundaries as of late." Caroline sighed in return, though, inside, her mind was whirring. _He healed me?_ They were so angry at each other; yet, he saved her life anyways. And for the second time, as well. "Thank you." She whispered, her hand going to her throat, the phantom of the woman's hand still plaguing her.

She was startled out of her thoughts as another hand was placed over hers, squeezing it gently before removing it from her throat. "She cannot, nor will she not, ever harm you again." Klaus whispered, blue eyes burning into hers. She nodded, causing him to let go of her hand and sit back a bit more. They stared at each other for a few minutes, both unsure of what to say.

"I had planned to come speak with you before…" Caroline put it, trying to break the silence they had run into.

"I know." He replied, examining her slightly. "Why did you not?" He asked her, honestly curious.

"I... I was afraid and still angry. I did not want to have another argument." Silence reigned again until Caroline opened her mouth to speak once more. "I was going to apologize. I had no right to blame you for my own predicament with my brother." She looked down at her hands, tears starting to build up in her eyes. His hand gently cupped her face, tilting her head towards his, catching her gaze.

"It is I who should apologize, sweetheart." He said slowly, as if testing out the words. "I should not threaten your family as I did."

For a moment Caroline thought that she must have been dreaming.

Did Lord Klaus just _apologize_ to her? She was sure she wore a stunned look as his confession. Surely he jested with her?

Alas, she could find no trace of deceptiveness on his face, only sincerity. She could not help but already feel herself forgiving him. Not trusting herself to speak, she only nodded. His hand felt rough but surprisingly soft on her face as he stroked her cheek once, a light smile on his face.

"I almost lost you, Caroline, and it… it affected more than it should have." Klaus said softly, the age of his voice making him sound worldly and tired. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"I…" Caroline found herself at a loss for words. She wanted so desperately to stay angry at him; he had done many horrible things, both to her and others. But now he was showing her a side that was completely new to the both of them; it was fragile, vulnerable, and so utterly human.

Unbidden, the witch, Esmeralda's, words came to her, words she had not thought of in a long while.

"_His heart may be pure, child, but his soul is not. It is twisted, dripping in black and red."_

Caroline thought Esmeralda was wrong. His heart was pure, yes, but to her it seemed his soul was too. Both were simply hidden under years of hatred and pain, masking him from all that would try harm him. And now it was beginning to shine through.

So, she did the only the thing she could do. She forgave him.

"Yes." She said, her voice low. "I forgive you." Klaus' replying smile could have blinded her.

"Do you forgive me enough to give me one more chance to woo you?" He suddenly asked, sounding more cheerful than she had heard him for a while.

"Well, I… That is..." She spluttered, taken off guard by the abrupt change in conversation.

"I do believe our deal was an entire week of letting me court you, and, according to what I've seen, I have only done so for three days. It seems you owe me four days, love." The smirk was even more blinding than his smile from moments before.

"I don't… Well…" Caroline was still confused as to what was going on.

"Just agree, sweetheart, take a chance." Following his orders, she simply nodded, wide-eyed.

"Fantastic." Klaus exclaimed, suddenly getting up from the bed. Just as unexpectedly, he leaned forward to her, leaving a chaste kiss to her cheek, before bringing his mouth to her ear. "I look forward to it." His gruff voice sent a delicious shiver down her spine and before she could react he was gone, leaving only a gust of wind.

_Hold on a moment, _she thought, _what just happened?_

**That's it for now dearies! I hope it wasn't too unrealistic with Klaus arriving rather late in the confrontation…**

**Next chapter: We get some more on Klaus' side of things, Kol explains some more, Robb is back in the picture, and where is Katherine? It will most likely be up Sunday or Monday :)**

**Let me know what you think!**

**RW**

**Edited - 18/08/12**


	15. No More Woe

**Thank you to Anonymous, WhySoCuriousGeorge, shadowfaxangel, fallendarkangel693, lala931, xTheUnforbiddenxs2, Sci-fi Christian, arabella, PsychVamp, babyvfan (x2), Catherina1996, JuliaDelilah, Clara, criminal-intent, beadedheart, misselizathornton, Missy, Kiiimberly (x2), nostalgiakills, angel1725, lily94, KahlanDarcy, BlueJean452, InuGnome17, angelvboo, Curious Blonde, Lazerlicious, epic sweetness712, LorenaLaufey, and BiancaR for reviewing! Also thanks to all you subscribers and those of you who added this story to you fav lists, you guys are amazing :)**

**Just to quickly address something, I went back to last chapter after some good points made in the reviews and saw that there was something not very clear in it; The fact that Caroline was able to drink Klaus' blood even though her throat was crushed. In my mind, I was thinking that first few drops that went into her mouth when Klaus tried to force-feed her made it so that her throat began healing enough so that she could begin drinking more. If that makes any sense. Anyways, I hope that clarifies everything :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD. **

Chapter 14

No More Woe

_London, England 1550_

Caroline felt much better now that her mind was no longer so clouded. She had just bathed, already feeling much more awake after she had cleaned herself from all traces of last night's ordeal. Still, it was as if the woman's hands were still wrapped around her throat, squeezing tight. Whilst she knew it was simply impossible, she could not help but to feel that the woman would forever have a hold on her.

Shaking herself out of her dark thoughts, she quickly pulled on a simple cream dress, tying a belt around it swiftly. She braided her hair expertly, pulling it over one shoulder before putting her favorite boots on. As she went methodically about getting ready for the day, her thoughts quickly became more and more excited and, indeed, nervous all into one.

She had slept in the arms of Klaus, and now she had agreed to let him court her. For four more days. Honestly, how did she get herself into such situations?

The thought of him courting her once more brought thoughts of another person. Robb. Her brother was currently angry at her. Maybe angry was not an apt description. More like _furious_. It pained her that there could be such animosity between them. When they were younger they had barely ever argued, and, if they had, it had been over something childish. Now, though, it seemed it was all they did.

She knew Robb had yet to forgive her for the entire Klaus… well whatever it was. She just wished he would _talk_ to her. She missed her brother, the one who used to stand up for her, ever gallant and honorable, when the other city children picked on her. She missed the boy who would tug her hair just to annoy her, that sweet boy who used to go around, cradling little Laura.

Where had that boy gone?

Caroline was startled out of her melancholy thoughts when a knock came on the door.

"Miss? Might I come in?" A feminine voice sounded on the other side. Giving herself a minute to calm down, she called out her consent. Not a moment later the door opened to reveal Anna, a serving girl. Caroline had long since decided she liked Anna; she did her job well and was always ready for a chat. She was also seemed close to Caroline in age and did not treat the blonde girl with any disdain as some of the other servants did sometimes.

"The Lord Niklaus had requested I give you this." Anna said, holding out an envelope to the taller girl. Caroline hesitated for a second, before finally taking it.

"Thank you, Anna." She replied, causing the girl to send her sweet smile. "You may go."

"Yes, miss." The brown-haired girl turned to go, curls bouncing under her cap, before she looked back to Caroline. "He seems to like you well, miss." Anna then faced the door once more before quickly disappearing through it.

Caroline shook her head, smiling fondly as she thought of the cheerful girl, but, inside, she wondered if people really did see how Klaus thought of her, because she certainly could not. Quietly, she looked back at the front of envelope where her name was written in elegant script. She turned it around to find the Mikaelson family seal on the back, unbroken. She quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter.

_My sweet Caroline,_

_Meet me at noon by the lake. Myra will gladly accompany you._

_Fondly,_

_Klaus_

Caroline smiled at the little sketch in the corner of her on her horse, standing idly by the very same lake he spoke of. Really, the man could not do anything in halves, ever dramatic as he was. Still, the letter made her heart flutter a little in her chest. She decided then and there that she would take care of her brother later, she simply did not have the energy for a confrontation. Instead, she went quickly to the kitchens to do her duties, rushing all the way.

She had an appointment, after all.

* * *

Kol stood in front of his siblings, uncharacteristically quiet. They were waiting for their answers, he knew. He just wished he was not the one who held them all. Contrary to what most people thought, he did not like being the center of attention, well, at least, not _always, _especially when his family was involved…

"What happened, Kol?" Rebekah asked, her voice soft, confused.

"Well, this… and then that. Many things. I really should not bore you will all of the scandalous details, baby sister, they could corrupt your innocence…" Kol said, considering. "Oh _wait_…"

"Kol." Klaus growled, quickly growing fed up with his brother's aloof attitude.

"Alright, alright." The younger Mikaelson put his hands up in a frustrated gesture. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Answer the question." Elijah put in, his usually calm demeanor seeming a bit frazzled. "Tell us what happened, from the beginning."

"Very well. Many centuries ago, there was a woman named Esther and her husband and after, well, I am sure you all know how to produce little Mikaelsons... nevertheless, she was soon with child. She later gave birth to the babe, who ended up being a strapping young fellow, more handsome than all of his brothers-"

"Kol! Not that far back!" Rebekah exclaimed, her annoyance getting the best of her. "I am beginning to remember why you were even daggered in the first place."

"Now, now Bekah, is that any way to treat your loving brother?" Kol tutted.

"If you do not get on with it, _dear brother_, you will be put back into your coffin. _Permanently._" Klaus hissed, standing up with a menacing glare in his eye. He had better things to do after all. Such as courting a certain, lovely, blonde girl for starters. The very same girl he was to meet in a few short hours. His patience was waning thin. "And start from when the dagger was pulled from your heart."

"Alright… We will miss some great tales, but, alright, I shall start from when the dagger, which Nik so kindly placed in my chest, was taken out." Kol said, slightly annoyed at his brother's threats. Really, he could be so uncivilized. "As it turns out, Katerina managed to convince John to come to my aid. He undaggered me, but was compelled to put me under vervain, to keep me, how do I say this… _pliable_. He brought me to her, and, with his job completed, Katerina snapped his neck."

A Forbes servant. Dead. They really should have seen this coming. Luckily, the terms of the deal still apply, after all, it was not one of them that had murdered John, but one of their enemies. They were not directly responsible. Besides, it was one of the hazards of the job. Klaus just hoped it was one Caroline could avoid.

"Pity, really. He was a good servant." Kol continued. "So you see, there I was, weakened by vervain, hostage to Katerina, whom, may I add, is now in the possession of a dagger. Anyways, she soon came to the reason she '_freed_' me; she wanted to broker a deal, you see, for both us to get our '_revenge'_. It was rather simple really; she was going to go after Caroline whilst I went after you lot."

Here, Kol took a breath, and a dark crossed his face.

"She was a fool for thinking I would be so stupid, but I knew I could not refuse, after all she had a dagger and, not to mention, bloody witches. So I agreed and we made our plans. I tried to push her to attack as soon as possible, because I knew the only I would survive was if I crossed the barrier to this estate. If you had left, the plan would have failed. But, alas, I succeeded, managed to trick her into believing I was blindly following her, but I was not about to betray my family, at least, not _again,_ so the minute I crossed into the house, I turned against her… and the rest was history."

The silence was deafening for the moments after Kol told his tale, that is, until Rebekah decided to make her own point known.

"Now, was that really so hard?" She mocked him.

"_That_ is your reaction? Your dear older brother was in mortal peril and you care not?" Came Kol's indignant reply.

"Which dear older brother? I see only two, and both are standing across from you and were not so reckless they got themselves put under the thumb of a baby vampire." Rebekah returned smugly as she watched Kol's face turn angry.

"Now, listen here-" He began, only to be interrupted by one of Rebekah's so called 'dear older brothers'.

"Enough!" Klaus bellowed. "We cannot afford for you two to squabble like little children." He looked at the both of them pointedly.

"Niklaus is correct in this matter. Let us not forget that Katerina is in possession of the one of the daggers, we cannot allow dissension amongst our family." Elijah intervened before his younger brother let his temper wreck everything.

"It matters not, Elijah. She does not know of the white oak ash that she needs to complete the dagger." Rebekah said, a little more calmly than before.

"The damned woman came into _our_ home, nearly killed one of ours and took this idiot hostage!" Klaus roared, gesturing to Kol, who glared back, offended. Ignoring it, Klaus continued. "Do you really think she is not resourceful enough to find out about the ash, Bekah?"

"Perhaps…" The blonde vampire faltered. "Perhaps we should go to another one of our estates. She knows where we are, we are safe no longer." Klaus stared at his sister for a moment; surprised to see she actually looked somewhat frightened. The look on her face immediately made him come to a decision.

"No." Klaus shook his head. "We shall not run, we do enough of that, as it were. We are the original vampires, and I, _we_, will not let this insolent young vampire best us. She is no match for us and when we find her, and we will, I will give her a more painful death than any has ever known." He placed a hand on Rebekah's shoulder, smirking. "And you, little sister, are going to help me." She sighed, before nodding her agreement. "Elijah." He turned to his older brother. "I want you to lead the search for Katerina."

"With pleasure, brother." Elijah replied, a dark, unexpected smile on his face. He nodded once at them all and blurred off.

"And I, Nik? What shall I do, oh great leader mine?" Kol put in sarcastically, arms crossed in front of his chest, smirking widely. Klaus shared a knowing look with Rebekah, already having something planned for the younger Mikaelson.

"You, brother, are going to _apologize_." Said Klaus, his smirk growing wider than Kol's was as the younger quickly adopted a shocked and annoyed expression.

_This was going to be fun._

* * *

Caroline sighed when she finally finished her duties, having assigned a few extra chores to some of the more trustworthy servants. Glancing out the window, she knew it was soon to be noon. She groaned inwardly, she had wanted to go and change her clothing; she already felt hot and sweaty after her morning of hard work and stress.

With another groan, she made her way to the stables. Rounding a corner, she immediately spotted Robb, clearly giving a few commands to some footmen, holding one of the Mikaelson family ledgers in his hands. Caroline, hoping that her brother didn't see her as she _was_ stoutly avoiding him, quietly turned and made to go. She really did not want another yelling match.

"Caroline!" Robb called out, causing the other Forbes to curse to herself. Swiftly masking her face, she turned, eyebrow raised in question. Her brother quickly sprinted to her, unexpectedly pulling her into an almost crushing embrace. Caroline could not hide her sudden shock, her surprised making her freeze. What was going on? "Thank the lord you are alright, sister. Uncle told me of your being attacked." He exclaimed letting go of the blonde girl, only to place his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Are you? Alright, that is?"

"I suppose so." Caroline replied, her eyes holding some suspicion.

"Good…" Suddenly Robb took a step back, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I could not bare the thought… They said you almost died…" He muttered, looking at his feet, swallowing almost nervously. When he glanced back to Caroline, she immediately noticed his eyes had watered slightly and she felt her suspicion break; Robb had been worried over her.

"I am alright Robb… Lord Klaus, he healed me with his blood." She said, a little tentatively. She was unsure how her brother was feeling about Klaus. And about her.

"Lord. Klaus." He said gritting his teeth, hands clenched into tight fists. "He saved you, did he? I had been told Lord Kol was responsible for your rescue."

"They both were." She whispered, looking to the floor, hating her brother's disapproval. It was not a moment later when said brother sighed lightly and raised her chin gently.

"Forgive me, sister, I had not meant to upset you. I wished to apologize… I am going about this all wrong, aren't I?" Robb ran a hand through his thick hair. "This is more difficult than I thought it would be." He muttered, before catching Caroline's gaze with his own. He then took one of her hands. "It was not in my right to treat as I had, Care. I am truly sorry for that. I hope you find it in you to forgive your fool of a brother." She just continued to stare at him. "I would get on my knees, if it please you." He added, causing his sister to let out the tiniest of grins. He then proceeded to do exactly that, falling to his knees and holding his hands out in an almost comic way. "I am so sorry."

"Say 'sorry Caroline for being such a rude idiot…" Caroline commanded, trying her best to keep a straight face, "…I will forever bow to your beauty.'" She finally let out a smile as she added the last bit on. Robb, still on his knees, nodded feverously before doing as she asked.

"Sorry Caroline for being such a rude idiot, I will forever bow to your beauty." Robb repeated, looking up at his sister, who wore an eerily familiar smirk. She then held her hand down, helping to pull him back up, letting him go once he stood.

"You are forgiven, brother…" She said quietly, all traces of teasing gone. "But, if you ever question my integrity and my judgment again, I might not be able to so any more."

"I understand… I really am sorry, Care, I should not have insulted you so." He replied, smiling at her gently, a little pain-filled. "If I may ask, however, what is going between you and Lord Klaus?"

"He has told me that he wishes…. He wishes to court me." Caroline said, looking at Robb, trying to gage his reaction. He remained surprisingly straight-faced, but his fists had clenched once again, the only sign he was still unsure about the whole situation.

"Are you sure you want to do this? He has been walking the Earth a long time, Caroline, he surely knows how to play at trickery." Robb stated, jaw tight.

"I am sure, brother. I made a deal with him, I must let him court me for the remainder of the week, and if I still refuse him, he has given me his word he would leave me be and treat as nothing more than his underling." Caroline said, trying to comfort the older Forbes, who was looking rather worried.

"And if you do not refuse him?" He asked, gaze burning into his sister's.

"I do not know, Robb… I do not know. But, please, just trust me. I am a woman now, I can care for myself." She pleaded, gripping one of his hands tightly, trying to get her point across to her stubborn kin.

"Very well. I suppose he _did_ give you his blood to heal you… But, if he harms you, in any way, even his vampire ways will not save him." Robb said, dark glare on his face. "You have been hurt too much as of late, and next time, they will not get away with it." Just as suddenly as it was there, his glare was gone, replaced with a wide smile. "Now, I believe I have some duties to attend to." He leaned forward and pulled her into a long embrace.

"Thank you Robb, for giving me a chance." Caroline whispered, hugging him tight. "I love you, brother, and that will never change."

"You too, Care, you too." Robb replied, before letting her go and walking the other direction.

Caroline smiled to herself, suddenly happy that Robb had spotted her. Things were not completely alright between them, she knew. But, they were getting there. Perhaps that boy that used to protect her when she was younger was not so far off, after all.

* * *

"Woah, Myra, woah." Caroline said softly to her brown mare, slowing her down as they arrived to the lake. As gracefully as she could, she jumped to the forest floor, nearly stumbling but managing to stay up right, though barely. She tied Myra's reins to one of the many trees surrounding them before giving the horse an apple. "There's a good girl." She said as the mare happily chomped on the fruit.

Caroline wandered to the lake bank, watching as the water lapped at the stony shore. She was nervous, it seemed. Lord Klaus had yet to arrive and it had her wringing her fingers anxiously. She wondered what he had planned for them. She turned around when she heard the sounds of footsteps, only to see the sudden appearance of Lord Klaus and… Lord_ Kol?_

_What is he planning, _she wondered. Still, Caroline kept her manners and curtsied deeply to the both of them. "M'lords."

"Caroline, sweetheart, before we… _begin_, my brother here has something to say to you." Klaus said, a mischievous smirk upon his face as he pushed the younger forward.

"I…" Kol started, looking utterly angry and downright annoyed. But, he ground his teeth together and went on with it. "I apologize for whatever part I have played in your attack and injuries, both from yester-night and previously." When he was done Kol stepped back, expression still borderline hostile. Caroline stopped short, surprise shooting through her. She would never in a million years have expected for the arrogant Lord Kol to apologize to her, and, when she glanced at Klaus to see his expression smug and satisfied, she knew he had something to do with it.

Yet, Caroline nodded at Kol, accepting his forced apology, knowing that was about as good as it would get. Do not mistake her, she was still rather terrified of the vampire, he had tried to drink her blood once, after all. However, he _did_ save her, and she knew he was not going to harm her anymore. Or, at least, she thought he wouldn't, she hoped so, in any case. Still, that did not mean she completely forgave him, either, but she did not want any more tension or anger in her life. She had had enough of that sort of thing. So, surprisingly, she decided to take another step to get better relations with her former attacker.

"I must thank you, m'lord, for choosing to come to my aid when you could just as easily have let me die." Caroline stated demurely, dipping into a curtsy.

"Yes…" Kol looked rather surprised and somewhat out of his depth. He cleared his throat a few times as he continued. "Well. You are welcome." He then nodded to Klaus and ran away in a blur so all Caroline felt was a sharp gust of wind.

"Well, I daresay that went quite splendidly. It is not often I have a chance to see my brother so unraveled." Klaus stated, breaking the silence that had fallen as he approached Caroline with a pleased smirk on his face. They now stood almost chest-to-chest, and Klaus looked down at her, his blue smoldering. The sun that filtered through the trees brought the light out in his sandy curls and expressed his chiseled features. _He really is dangerously handsome,_ Caroline thought, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"I supposed you are wondering what I have planned for us." Klaus said, his voice deep and gruff, sending a shiver down her spine. Caroline only nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She stared at his surprisingly luscious lips, distracted by the fact that she needed only tilt her head up to touch them with her own.

The thought was shattered when Klaus suddenly stepped back, causing Caroline to immediately miss their proximity. She shook herself, trying to rid herself of the scandalous ideas that continued to worm their way into her head. Klaus then held out a hand to her. Caroline looked at it for a moment, before taking it, allowing him to pull her along the bank of the river. They walked for a few minutes until the bank became a little more narrow, the trees nearing more and more. When it became too narrow for them to walk with such a space in between them, Klaus pulled her into his side, holding their linked hands to his chest, his other arm securing itself around her waist.

Caroline's blush reddened impossibly more, embarrassed. But the gesture also brought her a sudden joy, making her stomach leap. She secretly loved the feeling of his arms around her, holding her safe and tight. Soon they found themselves staring at a small crag in the hillside, looking down a twelve-foot drop. Klaus looked at Caroline, as if asking her permission, his face so close to hers she that could see the different shades of his eyes. She nodded, too caught up with the heat of the moment to really ask herself to what she was consenting.

Abruptly, Klaus turned her to face him completely and wrapped his arms around her, making Caroline bury her face into his chest.

"Hold on, love." Klaus whispered in her ear, before placing a light kiss in her hair.

The next thing she knew, she could no longer feel the ground beneath her and she gasped loudly, her hands gripping him more tightly. She knew the must have been in the air for only a second as they jumped over the crag, but it could have been an eternity.

Then they were on the ground again and Caroline felt her heart begin to slow down as she pulled away from Klaus' embrace to look up at him, an awestruck smile on her face.

"That was amazing." She said, almost reverently. In her excitement, she did not immediately see the look Klaus was giving her. He was looking at her tenderly and yet passionately at the same time. She felt herself being caught up in his gaze, her breath getting more and more shallow.

"I am going to kiss you now." He whispered, his eyes burning with desire. She simply nodded, mind foggy and clouded. Slowly, he leaned down a little more, noses barely touching. He was still looking at her, eyes so very blue and full unhindered admiration as he lifted a hand to her cheek, stroking it softly. Then he touched his lips to her and all thought flew from her mind.

The kiss started out gentle, tender even. It was sweet and beautiful in its own right, but soon it grew more impassioned and Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself even closer to him. She gasped as he deepened the kiss, one hand in her hair, the other tightly around her waist. Eventually, Caroline needed more air than she was getting and pulled back, breathing heavily, blush bright red. Klaus chuckled a little, thoroughly enjoying her reactions. They were so very Caroline.

"Forgive me, love, that was not very gentlemanly of me. I promise the rest of our day will not be so… excitable." Klaus said, gently pushing some of her hair behind her ear, before leaning forward and placing a surprisingly sensual kiss to her forehead. He then leaned further down, kissing her temple, before placing his mouth by her ear. "Though, I must say that was rather delectable."

Before Caroline's muddled mind could even process his words, Klaus was suddenly standing a small distance away, only holding one of her hands in his.

"Come, we are almost there sweetheart." He said as he began to lead her further.

* * *

Caroline stared at the small rowboat, tethered to a wooden post at the bank of the lake, a little frightened. She had never been in a boat before, even such a small one as this. She could not swim, either.

"The other side of the lake is too shallow for rowing, the oars get caught in the rocks." Klaus explained, taking off his cloak and hanging it off a nearby tree. He pulled the wooden boat in closely, before stepping in gracefully. He then turned back to Caroline, a smirk firmly on his face. "Would you like to join me, dear lady?" Caroline looked at the water nervously, gulping, not giving him an answer as she tried to work her way through her fear. "There is no need to be nervous, Caroline. I am a _very_ good rower, and, from what I hear, it is a very popular courting tool nowadays." He held his hand out to her. "Trust me."

Caroline, swallowing her fear, took his hand, letting him help her into the small boat. Once she was seated comfortably, he reached across her and untied the boat from the wooden post, pushing them out into the water. As the rowboat wobbled a little, Caroline felt her panic rise, before taking a deep breath and calming herself down.

She watched as Klaus took a seat across from her, handling the oars expertly and rowing them at a gentle pace. Eventually, Caroline found herself enjoying the serenity of the lake, and she smiled peacefully, putting a hand out to graze the water gently.

"It's so beautiful." She said, turning to smile at her companion, who was not even out of breath after all the rowing; the perks of being a vampire, she supposed.

"So are you." He stated, a smirk on his face as she blushed, _again._ Trying to keep a cool façade, she simply raised an eyebrow in return, before looking back out at the lake.

"Klaus, I am wondering…" Caroline hesitated. She wanted to ask Klaus more of _himself,_ for she barely knew anything about him. She knew not where he had been, what he had seen, what he desired from the world.

"You wish to ask me questions, do you not?" Klaus looked at her knowingly. Caroline nodded, relieved she did not have to explain. "And so you may, but not today, love."

"But-" Caroline protested.

"Let me make you a promise, I will answer all you wish to know tomorrow. You may ask anything of me, and I will try my best to be honest. Today, however, let us enjoy a little peace, for tales of my life are no pretty things." Klaus said, surprisingly serious.

"I have your word?" She asked, checking to see if he really meant what he was saying.

"You have my word, sweetheart." Klaus replied.

"Then, please, row away." Caroline commanded, smiling at him.

"As the lady wishes."

* * *

Eventually, they made it back to the bank of the lake. Shockingly, the sun was already setting; they must have been out on the lake longer than Caroline realized. As Klaus tied the boat back to the post, she began to shiver, the cold settling in through her cloak. Klaus soon stepped out of the boat, helping Caroline out as well. She was momentarily disappointed when he let go of her hand, only to feel the weight of his cloak on her shoulders the next moment.

"Thank you." She said, pulling it around herself more tightly. "Will you not be cold, Klaus?" She asked, causing the other to chuckle.

"No, love, vampires do not feel the cold or warmth as humans do." Caroline looked at him, shaking her head slightly; there was still so much she did not know of this world that hid in the darkness. She pulled herself out of her thoughts when Klaus offered her his arm. Immediately, she linked her arm through his and they made their back to the other side of the lake.

When they arrived, Klaus helped Caroline get on to Myra. He took the reins from her and she was too tired to protest and allowed him to lead Myra back to the stables. It took a while, as they were going at a very slow pace, but Caroline did not mind. Klaus did not say anything to her, as they began their way to the stables, both enjoying the peaceful silence.

Caroline did not even realize when they arrived at the stables, exhausted as she was. It had been a trying week and now that she had a moment of quiet her body quickly took a chance to rest. She was vaguely aware of Klaus lifting her off Myra and holding her tightly in his arms. She felt a gust of wind as Klaus blurred them to her bedroom. Foggily, she felt him place her in her bed, helping her out of her boots.

She opened her eyes to stare at him, tiredly, watching as he sat down next to her, caressing her cheek lightly.

"Why do you affect me so, Caroline?" He whispered, staring deeply in her bright blue eyes. He leaned down to leave a chaste kiss to her lips. "Sleep well, love." The next moment he was gone and out the door.

That night, still wrapped in his cloak, Caroline dreamt of water and sweet kisses.

_No, Klaus, it is you that affects me._

* * *

_Paris, France 1550_

Katherine considered herself to be _great_. A great woman, a great thief, a great lover, a great killer.

A great vampire.

So when her plans for revenge failed, she knew she could not let this hit to her pride stand. Klaus would pay for what he did, and so would his insolent little brother. The girl too. It was all that human's fault. She was the one the two brothers wanted to protect. She was the reason her plans failed.

This would never happen again. Caroline Forbes would not be protected for much longer.

She would make sure of it.

But, first, there was something she needed, _someone_ she needed to find.

Katherine would get them, soon enough. Just wait and see.

**That's it for now! I hope it wasn't too cheesy :) As a little apology for being slow on the update, I decided to make it longer, I hope you forgive me!**

**Before I leave, I just want to tell you all about something I wrote **_**for**_** The Lines That Lie Between. It's just a little one-shot called The Hearts Of Others, and it's basically (Uncle) Richard's back-story and how he fell in love with Rebekah. So, please, go ahead and check it out! (Thanks to criminal-intent, Sci-fi Christian, and lily94 for already doing so and leaving reviews :D)**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and tell me what you think! If anyone has any oneshot suggestions for this AU, feel free to let me know; I'll see what I can do!**

**RW**

**Edited - 18/08/12**


	16. Finally Free

**Thanks to **_**Guest, Guest, Guest**_**, I Am Pheonyx, **_**Guest, Guest**_**, Sophieke, Red Eyed Newborn, Sci-fi Christian, meagainpauline, **_**Guest**_**, angelvboo, LorenaLaufey, Clara, **_**Guest**_**, BlueJean452, lily94, refreshedlove, EternalFlame0410, Lazerlicious, PsychVamp, **_**Guest**_**, berverlie4055, angel1725, tip of the tongue, babyvfan, BiancaR, **_**Guest**_**, and shadowfaxangel for reviewing! More than five hundred now!**

**You are all truly astonishing :) This one is dedicated to you guys!**

Chapter 15

Finally Free

_London, England 1550_

Robb Forbes considered himself to be a virtuous man. He knew he had a temper and would oft get mad and angry to hide his true feelings, but he had morals. He knew his duty, and he did it, without question. He knew the difference between right and wrong.

He was twenty years old and twenty years young in the same breath.

All of this was why he had initially protested against the very idea of Lord Klaus getting anywhere near his sister. He knew it was a tad redundant, after all, Caroline was servant to Lord Klaus, she could not simply _avoid_ him. Still, when he had seen that first step, Caroline dancing in his arms, his heart had stopped in panic,_ anger_.

And fear.

He knew what Lord Klaus was, you see. He had spent near five years in service of Elijah, and in the near proximity of the younger Mikaelson. In all his time serving the vampires, he had, never once, seen a true shred of humanity in Klaus. But, in that one moment where the lord danced with his little sister, he had seen _something._ It was as if something small changed in the ancient creature. Something small, yet something astoundingly fundamental and huge at the same time.

It was the reason he was afraid. Afraid for Caroline because, he did not know this _other_ Klaus that kept seemingly popping up here and there. This was not the Klaus that murdered on a whim. That purged on blood, money and women. This was someone who was just _different_.

To put it simply, he was worried about his little sister. More than four years ago when he had left her behind to start this new life as a servant, she had been a girl, small and full of laughter. A girl he knew like that back of his hand. But now, when she herself came to be in this life, she had become a beautiful young women, one that he was unfamiliar with.

Caroline was still full of laughter, but she was also undeniably strong. Fierce. Fierce as any Forbes. She did not need his protection any longer and though Robb was proud of this, a part of him missed that little girl as well. He wanted to keep her from any harm.

It had been wrong of him to yell at her, judge her so harshly, however. After all, Caroline was still human, and an empathic one at that. She saw what was beneath everyone, even supposed 'monsters'. So Robb decided to trust her, just as she wanted.

She was his little sister and always would be. And for all their faults, they had always trusted each other when they were younger, so why not now?

As he looked out the window, watching the rain as it fell in a thousand drops, he could not help the feeling of foreboding that came with it. The sky was dark even though it could only be around noon, and wind howled like a pack of wolves. There was something bad on the horizon.

Robb suddenly hoped that trusting Caroline was the right thing.

* * *

Caroline sat quietly across from her lord as he stared at her, blue eyes fixed on her own. Klaus had a deceptively calm expression on his face, though, inside, he was fighting a deep turmoil. He had given his human his word that he would answer her questions and now it was up to him to keep it. They sat in the library, in two plush armchairs, in front of the fireplace at the far end of the enormous room. The fire was crackling, keeping the cold of the weather away from them. They had already been talking a while, Caroline asking things that ranged from his favorite color to how long it had taken to build this estate. They had yet to talk of anything more substantial.

"Where have you been in the world?" Caroline asked, leaning forward, her eyes sparkling in curiosity.

"Very many places, Caroline." Klaus replied, with a slight chuckle. "Rome, Paris, across the ocean. Everywhere… I could take you there, wherever you want to go." Caroline felt shocked, for a moment, and leant back as a blush covered her cheeks, clearing her throat. The action only caused Klaus to chuckle more. She glared.

"Thank you for the offer, m'lo-_Klaus_, but I must decline; the week is not yet completed."

"Pity." Klaus remarked, smiling. "Next question."

"What was your family like when they were human?" She asked, wanting all attention away from herself.

"Why would you want to know that?" He asked, suddenly suspicious. He did not like thinking of that time, nor had he felt the need to in the last five centuries, why should he now?

"Why would I not? I would like to know more of the family to which my own is indebted… Moreover, I had thought it was my day to ask the questions." Caroline replied, looking rather self-satisfied. This was the one chance she had to get answers from the mysterious Lord Niklaus Mikaelson and she would not let him talk his way out of it. She looked at him expectantly, an eyebrow raised as if to say '_I dare you'._ Klaus, of course, was never one to run from a challenge and met her gaze head-on.

"Very well. In my time, we were in the midst of what you could call a dark age for man. My parents lived in a village in Eastern Europe, but the world was filled with war and plague. Keep in mind, then, I did not only have four siblings, I had six."

"_Six?_" Caroline interrupted, she had always been under the impression that Mikaelsons she knew were the _only_ ones.

"Yes. I had two more brothers... I will explain more later, but, if you don't mind, I would like to continue uninterrupted, sweetheart." Klaus said, looking at her pointedly. Caroline looked momentarily ashamed, before nodding eagerly.

"One of those brothers, the eldest of the entire Mikaelson brood, died of one of the many plagues that swept the continent." Her lord went on, putting his elbows on his knees as he looked her in the eye. "I had yet to be born at his point, but, from I have been told, my mother, Esther, and my… my _father,_ Mikael, had heard from an acquaintance, a witch by the name of Ayana, that there was a new land, untouched by disease. So, traveling by boat, they sailed to this new world." Caroline was by now leaning forward on her palms, utterly sucked into his story, listening to his every breath as he spoke in cool, steady tones. "I assume you know of the lycanthrope?" Klaus asked.

"Of course, they are werewolves, are they not? Sworn enemies to vampires?" She replied, as she recalled her lessons on folklore and supposed 'myth'.

"Precisely. Well, unbeknownst to my parents, their new home was crawling with werewolves. However, we learnt to live with them, in a somewhat hesitant peace, at least, for a time… After Esther and Mikael's arrival, Elijah and Finn were born, then I, and then Kol, Rebekah, and my youngest brother, Henrik. We lived a simple life, shared a small house. We had a grand total of four rooms; my brothers and I all shared sleeping quarters, whilst my sister had her own sleeping area, being the only girl amongst five boys. I was taught to be a warrior, efficient with sword and shield. I knew how to hunt, and was even taught to read and write, a luxury for any man... There were no markets where we lived, everything we ate we had to fetch ourselves. We were self-reliant... As I said, a simple life." Klaus suddenly stopped, his voice taking on a reminiscing quality, as he seemingly looked far off into the distance.

"Of course, once a month we had to hide from the wolves as the full moon rose into the sky." He continued, after taking a moment. "There were a series of caves in which we would spend the night. My father was very strict about this and was vicious about his punishment if we ever deemed to break his rules. I don't remember much from my human life, but I do remember the caves. Once Bekah and I decided to carve our names into its walls. They may still be there for all I know of it." He looked down for a second. "One full moon, Henrik and I snuck out to see the wolves, ignoring our father's rules and our mother's heeding." His voice grew deeper, a sad and, though Caroline may have been imagining this, guilty tone in it. "Henrik was attacked by one of the werewolves as morning neared… It was all I could do to bring him back to the village. He was just a boy when he died."

Caroline was overwhelmed by the sudden emotion of the story and regretted ever asking her question. She would ask someone to relive horrible life experiences just for the sake of sating her curiosity? She felt disgusted with herself. Looking to her lord, she realized he had stopped speaking and was seemingly off in a different world, his eyes clouded. She reached out, tentatively at first, and took his hand. Klaus looked up at her, surprised, before smirking at her, though his heart seemed not to be in it.

"My father and mother, in their grief and wanting to keep the rest of their children alive decided to create a new species. Esther was a witch, you see, so, killing a village girl, she told my father to give us wine laced with the dead girl's blood as part of the ritual to turn us into vampires." Klaus purposely left out _whose _blood was in the goblets. "Drinking some himself he gave us all the wine… That night, he slaughtered all of my siblings and myself, before ending his own life."

Their father _killed_ them? The thought brought Caroline to a halt. She knew you had to die to become a vampire, but this was different. How could any father do that to his children?

"He took his sword to us, and our human lives were over." Klaus continued, unaware of Caroline's inner turmoil. "When we awoke, he brought in a different girl, as we had to drink more blood to complete the ritual. We did so and thus the very first vampires were created." Klaus left out some more minor details… Such as the fact that after his first kill he triggered his own werewolf curse, leading to learning the truth of his mother's infidelity and that Mikael murdered half the village, including his true father, in revenge. He left out that his mother then bound his wolf side, and that, in his anger, he had killed her in retaliation, telling his siblings that their beloved _father_ was actually responsible.

He left out that they had been running ever since.

Caroline sat in quiet thought, her hand still over Klaus'. She looked at their entwined hands, wondering, trying to imagine his ancient memories coming to life. She found she could not. She had lived all her days in the city; the estate was the closest she had ever gotten to living, isolated, in the countryside. There were still many small villages similar to Klaus' human home, to be sure, but she had never been there. It occurred to Caroline just how _old_ he really was, how much he must have seen of the world and how very _little _she had. How very little she _was_.

She was but a human child, entranced by an ancient and powerful vampire.

And yet, he seemed to quite like her as well, and, dare she say, mayhap he was entranced by _her_ just as she was by him. What was it that Lord Elijah had once said?

"_Humans interpret the world differently than us vampires, you see. You live such short lives... Like a fire, you burn brightly for a while, but you fade just as quickly_."

Perhaps Lord Klaus only took an interest in her only to sate his own curiosity. Perhaps he simply wanted a plaything, but, as the days passed, she began to feel that these assumptions were less and less true.

Shaking herself out of her audacious thoughts, she decided to move on to her next question.

"What is your fondest memory of your family?" Caroline asked. The query caught Klaus off-guard, making him hesitate.

"There was once, when I and my family were still human," He began, smiling lightly, as leaned back, causing Caroline to drop her hand from his. "Bekah was quite young at the time, if memory serves… Kol and I decided to try and scare her, we donned white cloth, wearing them such that we seemed as if we were ghosts. Then, as the sun began to set, we leapt out at her, only, it was not Rebekah we had frightened, but Finn, who jumped higher than I had ever seen. As it turns out, Bekah knew about our plan all along and had planned it perfectly so that, when we had our backs turned, she and Elijah gave _us_ a scare instead." Klaus smiled fondly. "It was the first sign that our dear sister was not to be messed with. Of course, Mikael was not happy when he found out, but, alas, we were laughing too hard to truly care."

Caroline grinned at Klaus' story. She could just imagine a young Rebekah scheming behind her brothers' backs. She had many similar memories of her own childhood. Running through the streets as Robb chased after her, playing hide-and-seek with little Laura. There was even a few times when Mother had joined in their childish games.

Unbidden, the thought of her family brought back images of the dark-haired woman who attacked her not two nights passed.

"_He took away what I loved most and so, __I__ will take away what __he__ most loves."_ Ignoring the last bit, Caroline wondered what Lord Klaus had done to this woman that she was so hate filled and utterly without compassion.

"The woman… The one who attacked me..." Caroline was aware enough that she saw Klaus' jaw tighten in subtle anger. "What did you to her that she hates you so?" She asked, lifting her eyes to his as she played with her hands, her voice quiet.

"Ah yes, _Katerina_, I was wondering whether you would deem to ask of her." Klaus replied, his face masked in a grimace, not wanting to broach this topic. He knew that telling Caroline of his actions towards the brunette would most likely make her hate him, and see him for the monster he was… But, he gave her his word and Niklaus Mikaelson never went back on his word, even if he twisted it a bit to his will.

"I needed her as a part to break a curse that has loomed over me for the past five centuries… She was pivotal in it, but, when she learned of what was to come, she ran. Not only that, she stole something of great value from me and turned herself into one of my kind in the process… I needed her as human, you see, with her as a vampire, I could not use her." Klaus tried not to go into great detail, he did not wish to recount the role of the Petrova doppelgängers. "I will never have the chance to break the curse ever again, I needed her human blood and her bloodline ended with her."

"Surely, that is not all to make her act so… hostile?" Caroline pushed, feeling there was more to the story. '_He took away what I loved most and so, __I__ will take away what __he__ most loves.'_ Her mind whispered in her head.

"She betrayed me, _fled_. I have no patience for cowards and disappointments, so I retaliated." He still avoided admitting what he did.

"How?" Caroline asked; Klaus gave no answer. _"How?"_ She demanded.

"I killed her family." The words were said softly, but in no way were they ashamed. He looked her straight in the eye, his blue orbs burning into her own. He was not going to regret past actions for the sake of her.

"You killed her family." She repeated, her face blank, voice even. "You did not get your way, so you killed her family, who were innocent of any crime."

"That you do not know, Caroline… I did not care whether they were innocent or guilty, they were only a message to Katerina." Klaus continued to look at her, head cocked slightly. "I told you once I am a killer and it is true; I have killed many in my time."

"You _did_ tell me that." Caroline stared at her hands, her stomach tumbling, whether it was because of illness or nerves, she was unsure. Klaus was a murderer; she was a fool to believe something so fundamental could ever change. Clenching her hands, she stood gracefully from her armchair and curtsied to Klaus. "Thank you for answering all of my questions, Klaus." As she turned to go, a hand clamping tightly around her wrist startled her. Furious, she turned back to the vampire, ready to yell at him only to be stopped short when she saw said vampire looking at her uncertainly, the vulnerability clear on his face.

"Please. Wait." She had never seen nor heard Klaus be so _open_, emotional. She stood silently, looking down at him, eyes sad. "I…" He hesitated. "I have found I cannot shed blood as I used to… I have yet to kill anyone since… since my brother took _your_ blood." Klaus said, struggling to get the words out. For some reason, watching Caroline turn away from him hurt him more than he could bear. He needed to convince her, needed to make her _see._ He wanted her… He wanted her _here_ to be with him.

They watched each other, the silence around them deafening as Klaus kept hold of her wrist. He did not hold it too tight, however, allowing Caroline the chance to go if she so wished. And, yet, Caroline found she could not move away, not when he looked up at her with such vulnerability.

When he could not take the distance between them no longer, he let go of her wrist and encircled his arms around her waist, pulling her into him so she was seated in his lap. He breathed in her scent from where his face lie in the crook of her neck, surprised when he heard her sweet sigh and a hand came up to run gently through his hair. Savoring their position for another few moments, Klaus pulled away, looking into Caroline's kind face. He raised a hand to her cheek, stroking it with the utmost care, almost as if he was afraid she would break in his arms. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.

"Why did you not walk away, sweetheart?" Klaus asked, curious, though he was relieved she did not.

"Would that I could… I'm afraid I am in too deep to abandon it all now, Klaus." She replied, her voice soft. "I am going against all I stand for by being here. Life is important to me, _humans_ are important to me. I cannot simply stand by and watch them get slaughtered." She whispered, her eyes full confusion and uncertainty.

"Then humans shall be important to me as well." Klaus found himself saying, mesmerized as he was by her. Suddenly, she sat back a bit more, pulling her forehead from his.

"I need you to promise me something." She said, daringly. Caroline knew she was stepping out of place, but it seemed that nothing was in the proper etiquette as of late.

"What do you wish?" Klaus asked in return, his voice holding a tone of curiosity.

"Promise me that, if I say yes to you when you're week of courting is over, that you will not kill anymore humans." Caroline waited with bated breath. She knew it was very possible Klaus would resist any such promise. He was a vampire, after all, why should he listen to some human girl?

Klaus felt anger for a moment at Caroline's request. The things he was doing for the girl, it was becoming ridiculous, and, yet, it seemed he could not deny her.

"Very well." He consented.

"Give me your _word_, Klaus."

"I give you my word." He leant forward, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead, before dropping one to her cheek. "I also give you my word that you will never be harmed at my hands."

"I did not ask for that, but I thank you for it." Caroline replied, a light blush on her cheeks from how he kissed her. She then pulled back from him, standing. "If you do not mind, I have some more duties to attend to." She abruptly turned and walked away, but before she made it out of his sight, she looked over shoulder at him, smiling slightly. "You have two more days, m'lord."

_Two more days to prove yourself._

* * *

The next day, Rebekah stood impatiently as the tailor measured her; making adjustments to her all the while he worked. She had no tolerance for slow workers, and, if Richard were not there to keep her calm, she most likely would have had a tantrum already.

"M'lady, if it please you, we can continue with these measurements tomorrow." Her manservant said, his voice low and kind. Rebekah sighed slightly, she was truly grateful for her human companion this last decade, but, if there was one thing he lacked, it was appreciation for the womanly arts.

"That's quite alright Richard. I would like to get this done today and if _someone_ works at a faster pace we may even be able to do just that." Rebekah said pointedly, glaring down at the tailor, who immediately bobbed his head, eye glass nearly falling off his weasel-like face as he exclaimed his consent.

"Of course, Lady Rebekah. It shall be done, for a maid as beautiful as yourself truly deserves nothing more that a beautiful gown." He went on, causing Rebekah to have the sudden urge to bite something, or, rather someone. She hated suck ups.

"I do not believe the lady asked for your opinions." Richard interrupted the tailor's blathering, irked by his presumptuousness. Rebekah looked at him gratefully for a moment, causing Richard to feel even less regret at his abnormally curt words. Once again, her manservant came in between her and a certain bout of violence that she did not want to commit and, for that, Rebekah was grateful.

"Leave us." She commanded, growing fed up herself with the incompetent tailor.. The tailor rushed away immediately, not wanting to invoke her wrath. As he left, Rebekah wandered to the window, looking out at the sunny day. She easily spotted her brother gallivanting around with his own Forbes servant.

Rebekah sighed slightly. Whilst she liked Caroline, much as she did not like to admit such a thing, she knew her brother was being a fool. The girl was _human_, and falling for humans was never a smart thing to do. She herself should know; it had happened several times to her.

It was why she tried her best to keep herself at distance, for Rebekah loved quickly and deeply. She glanced at her companion, who had by now joined her by the window, smiling softly at him.

"Do you worry for her?" She asked Richard, as he turned to look at her, kind brown eyes fixed on her blue ones.

"As much as you worry for your brother, m'lady." He replied, knowingly.

With another glance out the window, she and Richard turned away, knowing that it was too late for them to stop what was happening now.

Rebekah just hoped everything would turn out okay, though, deep in her heart, she had an inkling things were going to become a lot harder for Klaus and Caroline.

* * *

It was the last day. The very last day that Caroline owed to Klaus. After today, the week of 'courting' would be over. Today, she would have to make her final decision. Either to go back to being a simple servant, bending to her lord's will, or going somewhere entirely different, in uncharted territory, and being _with_ Klaus.

She was nervous, to say the least.

Yesterday, after she spent the day before questioning said vampire, Klaus and her had spent a day in the rare sun. They rode their horses into the fields, playing foolish games not meant for two adults… well, one vampire, and one young woman.

Readying herself for the day, she made her way to the door, however, upon opening it, she was curious to find a small velvet bag on the floor. Bending down, she delicately picked it up, and withdrew back into her bedroom. Sitting down on her bed, she carefully untied the strings of the bag, and gasped at its contents.

It was a beautiful bracelet, silver and shining. The chain was made of a dozen infinity links, set with what looked like diamonds. _Why would he-?_

Looking deeper into the bag, she found a rolled up bit of parchment.

'_Your choice, sweetheart'_ were the only words written. Scoffing, Caroline threw bracelet and note onto her bed and crossed her arms with a huff. Why did always have to be so... so… so irritating and persistent? She _knew_ it was her choice whether or not to continue this… whatever they had between them! And just when she tried to avoid thinking of it, he just had to have the last word.

It was so _frustrating_!

Pacing angrily across the room, she came to a decision. She was not going to let him sway her final choice with pretty jewels. Quickly grabbing the bracelet, she made her way down to the Mikealson family floor.

She was going to give Klaus a piece of her mind.

* * *

Caroline opened the door Klaus' chambers without knocking, making straight for his bedroom.

"You would dare-" Caroline's exclamation died out as soon as she noticed Klaus' current state. He stood before her completely shirtless, his only clothing a pair of breeches. His chest looked smooth and muscular and Caroline found she wanted to curl up in his embrace. Immediately she felt herself redden at her thoughts.

"I would dare?" Klaus repeated, smirking at her as he turned to face her fully. He made no move to dress himself as he came to stand by her languidly.

"I-I…" She stuttered, wide-eyed as he moved a little closer now looming over her, his smirk pointed directly at her.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, sweetheart?" He asked, chuckling. Caroline could practically _feel_ the rumbling laughter.

"Of course not!" She replied, indignant, having found her voice, her blush still furiously obvious on her normally pale face.

"I can see that." Klaus said, his tone slightly mocking. She was about to stutter out an angry reply when he continued. "Now, why did you need to come see me this early in the morning, Caroline darling?"

"You know perfectly well _why,_ m'lord." Caroline hissed in return, slapping the offending bracelet on his chest.

"Is it not to your liking? I can assure it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you." His hand had snaked up to cover her own, holding it to his chest. This angered her further, though a small part of her was happy she did not have to remove her hand from his glorious chest. _He is deathly handsome... _Snapping herself out of her scandalous thoughts, Caroline glared at her lord.

"It's not about the bloody bracelet!" She exclaimed exasperated.

"I was under the impression it was." His thumb began tracing patterns over hand. "So it _is_ to your liking." Klaus' smirk was rather infuriating.

"That matters not! You know very well it is a beautiful thing." She fumed.

"Then why is there such a problem, sweetheart?"

"It's about what the bracelet _represents_." At this Klaus looked curious. "You had told me it was to be _my_ choice and mine alone and now you try to sway me with jewelry of all things!" Caroline ranted, not thinking of what she was saying. "I was to decide by who you are and how I feel about you, not what you could provide for me! You are making this so much more difficult. I did not want to be your servant anymore and I had decided to stick by you and then you go and do _this-"_

Caroline was interrupted by Klaus suddenly lurching forward and pulling her into an impassioned kiss, effectively cutting off her train of thought. His lips were unyielding over hers and yet they were soft all the same. Before she knew what had happened, Caroline melted into his arms, bringing her other hand up to his naked chest. As Klaus pulled away, she made a noise of protest before opening her eyes to see him smiling brightly at her, boyish dimples showing.

"W-What?" Was Caroline's very eloquent response as she tried to collect her foggy thoughts.

"You want to stay with me." Klaus said, still smiling as he let his forehead fall to hers. "Nothing to say, sweetheart?" He smirked down at her, eyes sparkling in mischief.

"Would you please shut your mouth and kiss me, m'lord?" Caroline asked suddenly, annoyed at his smirking. It was in vain, however, when his smirk widened even more and he did as she requested. She knew her choice.

One hand found its way into her hair as he pulled her close, deepening the kiss. The other played at her back, where the strings of her bodice were. Coming up for air, Caroline leaned forward, touching their foreheads together, peering up into sky blue eyes. Her hands stroked the back of Klaus' neck as she smiled up at him languidly.

"You really should stop referring to me as m'lord." Klaus said.

"Perhaps you should call _me_ m'lady." Caroline replied smartly.

"Perhaps…" He grinned. "M'lady." Dipping a bit, he caught her mouth with his, pulling her as tightly to him as he could.

_There's no going back, _Caroline thought.

And there really wasn't, so, when Klaus began to pull her along to his comfortable looking bed, with his fingers working at her bodice all the way, she did not make a move to stop him, only kissed him more vigorously.

_I chose this, _Caroline thought.

_I chose you._

_Klaus._

* * *

_France 1550_

Katherine Pierce curtsied deeply, a smug smile on her face as she faced him. She had done it. She had found him.

_Soon, _she thought, _soon._

**Looks like we're getting closer and closer to the end of the story ;) I hope the last three days were sufficient! I actually had not planned to move this fast but I was just too tempted.**

**A little request all of you 'Guests' that have reviewed on this story before, I know some of you used to review under different names, so, if you wouldn't mind, could you put that name at the bottom of any other reviews? That way I can see all of you returning people :) I also like to thank you reviewers personally so, a penname is always useful :D**

**To those who noticed, Robb Forbes is actually loosely based on Robb Stark from GOT :) I was just in the middle of writing a story about the Starks when I was looking for something to call Caroline's brother... So if you want a picture of who he is, you know where to look to ;) **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	17. Hourglass

**Thanks to kritikal, Catherina1996, HUGEFAN, Spongehead, **_**Guest, Guest**_**, shadowfaxangel, arabella, **_**Guest, **_**NicolePJ, take-heart91, angelvboo, AssasinLenna, **_**Guest**_**, meagainpauline, olivialoveklaroline, babyvfan, criminal-intent, peanut mm, Anna, xx-MissM-xx, Clara, nicaha23, Element Siren, Sci-fi Christian, Carly-M, ShayShay305, I Am Pheonyx, Lazerlicious, deceptivedecadence, PsychVamp, beadedheart, DreamsBeatReality, jenni, Missy, **_**Guest,**_** InuGnome17, klauslove, Luv22, EternalFlame0410, LorenaLaufey, refreshedlove, angel1725, NiklausxCaroline, BiancaR, Kat7CA, and BlueJean452 for reviewing :)**

**To those who asked, sequel will happen ;) Warning, chapter gets a little heated!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or its characters.**

Chapter 16

Hourglass

_London, England 1550_

Caroline sighed happily as she lay half-asleep in Klaus' embrace. His arms were encircled around her tightly, holding her closer than she thought were possible; not that she had any protests, of course. She was completely and utterly satisfied; it was something she had never felt before.

This morning had been… unexpected, to say the least. She had planned to go to Klaus and give him a piece of her mind, and, though she had started to, they instead fell into his bed. It came to Caroline's realization that she was no longer a maid; he had ruined her for any other man. After all, she was now part of what would be considered a giant scandal; she would be seen as unfit. Yet, she could not make herself care, and, now that she thought on it, Lord Klaus had already long ago ruined her for other men.

There was just something about him that pulled her in, like moth to flame, only in this case the flame was a fire that burned passionately and the moth was a tiny thing, easily crushed by the fire.

And yet he could also be gentle, kind… and he had been. It was something she herself had never dared to hope for.

_Klaus pulled her backwards, kissing her vigorously, making his way to his comfortable looking bed. She felt his hand playing with the strings of her bodice, stroking the small of her back. His other hand sat on her waist, going up and down the side of her ribcage, making her shiver. When his thumb grazed the underside her breast, Caroline gasped in unexpected pleasure._

_Suddenly, Klaus pulled back, causing the blonde girl in his arms to let out a sound of protest. She immediately tried to pull him back, her arms winding tighter around her neck._

"_I should stop." He said, holding her back. "We should stop." Now he looked in her eyes. Caroline felt as if a dagger sliced through her, did he not… want her? "No, no, love." Klaus said, noticing her distress, cupping her face. "I simply mean that if we do not stop now, I will be unable to stay away. I would dishonor you."_

"_It is my choice, Klaus, do you not recall?" This time when Caroline pulled his head down for a kiss, Klaus complied with a happy smirk. The hand at her back began to untie her bodice strings, eventually making its way to the very top and-_

Deep in thought, she barely noticed that she had been staring at his face the entire time, a peaceful smile playing around her lips until he returned the smile, peeking down at her with one eye open. "Should I be worried?" He asked.

"No. Not at all." Caroline replied, and, for once, her cheeks did not redden at his attentions.

"No blush for me, sweetheart?" Klaus asked, sitting up as Caroline shifted off of him.

_Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire as he pulled off the dress, leaving her only in an almost transparent white shift. Klaus looked at her hungrily, almost predatorily; surprisingly though, it did not scare her but instead reassured her, making her bold. This time when he kissed her, it was she who began pulling at his clothes._

"I'm afraid not." Caroline said, smiling up at him.

"And why is that exactly?" Her lord asked leaning down so that he was hovering over her. The sheets around them twisted, exposing Klaus' delectable chest to her. His hands were on either side of her head.

"No reason." She said, teasingly. Klaus leaned down and Caroline closed her eyes in anticipation, only, instead of the kiss to her lips as she had expected, he left a quick peck to her collarbone and disappeared in a blur. _Irksome vampiric speed. _Caroline sat up quietly to see Klaus standing across the room, a pair of breeches half-hazardly thrown on. She admired his muscular back as he splashed some water on his face from the small bronze water bowl. Drying off his face with a towel, he glanced back at her, smirking at her open appreciation. Caroline was about to say something when, much to her embarrassment, her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Hungry, love?" He asked, amused. She looked sheepishly at him, before bowing her head so her hair covered her face. In the next moment, he appeared in front of her, forcing her chin up. "I'll only be a moment." And, again, he was suddenly gone. Caroline sighed; she wished she could keep up with him but knowing it would never be so.

Quietly, she got out of bed, contemplating how much her life had changed the last few months, because really, everything was different. It occurred to her that she would only need to spend ten years in servitude… with Klaus. Would she stay for him as Uncle Richard did for Lady Rebekah? If she did so, she would not be able to see her mother, her sister… her father. Robb would surely leave. But, if she left herself… _Why am I thinking of this now? This is only the start. I have ten years here, if he deems to stay with me that long… that should be enough. This decision cannot be about him_, she decided,_ it has to be about me. _Her mother always told her, do what is right for you and everything else will fall into place. Caroline just hoped the older woman was right in this matter.

Try as she might, however, she could not stop her mind from going back to Lord Klaus.

Slipping from the covers, she pulled on her discarded white shift, before going hunting for her dress. Finding it in the drawing room, she pulled that on too. She did not want anyone to catch her like this; they would think her a strumpet, or worse. She reached back to tie the bodice strings, finding she had trouble. She only managed to tie it halfway but she knew it would have to do.

She took a moment to look around the drawing room, having only seen it a few times. There was a half-finished painting on one of the easels and many sketches all around. She picked one up, admiring the detail. When she heard a very sudden whoosh of air and felt someone standing behind her, she did not jump, knowing exactly who it was.

"Do you sketch often?" She asked, curiously. A hand went around her and plucked the drawing from her fingers. Caroline turned around to face Klaus, not surprised to find him standing closer than he, in all technicality, should.

"Yes. This one I did in Spain. It was on an island called Formentera." He said, looking at it as if lost in thought. "It has always been a hobby of mine." He said, clearing his throat.

"They are all beautiful… _m'lord_." She added, teasing, trying to wipe that almost sad look from his face. He smiled at her in return.

"Perhaps I could paint _you_." He smirked at her surprised expression, she was not quite expecting that. It was good to know he could still shock her.

"Perhaps." She conceded.

"Yes, however, before we begin that, I have something that I believe belongs to you." Klaus put down the drawing and handed her the bracelet he had given her the night before. The bracelet that both started and ended everything for her, for the both of them. Caroline took it hesitantly, looking at where it sat in the palm of her hand. For a moment, Caroline considered returning it to him; it was beautiful, too beautiful for a servant such as herself. However, as if he knew what she was thinking, Klaus took from her hand and secured it around her wrist. She looked up at him smiling slightly, before finally nodding in consent.

Saying no to her lord was near impossible, after all.

Said lord nodded, satisfied, before stepping back and holding out a hand to her. "I believe you said you were hungry." He stated. Caroline smiled again and took his hand.

* * *

Caroline sat perfectly still in front of Klaus, trying to hold her pose as best she could. After their little… foray this morn and a quick meal thereafter, her lord had gone on and on about wanting to paint her. Caroline, of course, could not refuse and eventually said yes. Besides, who didn't want to have a master artist paint them?

Which is how she ended up sitting stiff-backed on an uncomfortable sofa, trying, in vain, to hold her position perfectly.

"Come on, love, try and show at least a little happiness." Klaus said, causing Caroline to simply glare at him. "I do believe that is the opposite of happiness, sweetheart." He continued.

"Well forgive me, _m'lord_, but I really did not think this would take so long." She retorted, proceeding to cross her arms.

"Do not cross your arms, you will ruin the portrait." He simply said in return. Caroline scowled but did what she was told; she was still a servant, much as she hated it. They continued in silence, the only sound the stroke of Klaus' brush; every now and then he would glance up at her and meet her gaze. In those moments, she felt as he were seeing her, really _seeing_ her, just as he saw her the morning previous, and his eyes seemed to smolder. She would often find herself heating up at her thoughts, her cheeks a furious red, causing him to chuckle lowly, which only made her blushing worse.

The more he looked at her, scrutinizing her, the more she began to fidget, wanting to move from her perch on the sofa and enter his embrace… or do other, more inappropriate things. She bit her lip, her mind drifting off.

"Love, you are really not making this very easy for me." Klaus said suddenly, interrupting her trail of thought. Caroline huffed, glowering at him.

"Perhaps you should continue to look at your painting then." She stated, eyes narrowed, sitting up in defiance.

"Why would I when I have to continue changing it to suit your position?" Klaus replied, eyebrow raised, smirk on his face. It was the smirk that did her in and Caroline got up, her temper flaring.

"Fine then, why do you not simply paint an inanimate object and let me have my leave of you to have some peace?" She ensued to walk away, head raised. She didn't get too far, however, when Klaus blurred to her side, an arm going around her waist, pulling her back into him.

"I did not mean to offend you, sweetheart, I simply meant that your lip biting was beginning to become a bit of a distraction." He said gruffly, a hand stroking down her arm. Caroline felt a delicious shiver roll through her, all her angry thoughts leaving her in a puff of smoke. Klaus placed a tantalizing kiss to her neck, causing Caroline to whip around, now facing him. She looked up at him for a moment, struck by just how handsome he was.

_Should he have been human, he would most certainly be the most eligible bachelor in all of England…_ Caroline reached up and placed a sweet kiss to the corner of his mouth, before moving back a bit to catch his eyes. A hand made it's way to her cheek, stroking it gently as he smiled at her, dimples and all. The arm around her waist held her tight, almost possessively, but, oddly, Caroline did not mind. She was his and he was hers, at least, in her mind.

Klaus leant and placed his lips over hers, kissing her softly. The soft kiss seemed to soon fill with fire and Caroline threw both of her arms around his neck, trying to pull him as close as she could, ready for a repeat of earlier events. Neither noticed when the door opened.

A throat cleared from the doorway and Caroline shot back, nearly tripping in her surprise. Luckily her lord kept his arm around her and she managed to say upright. There was nothing to be done about her blushing, however, so she hid her face in Klaus' neck, embarrassed. Klaus seemed to be aware of her discomfort and stroked soothing circles on her back.

"Brother." Klaus stated, sounding immaculate as ever, even in the face of being caught by his older sibling.

"Niklaus." Elijah greeted, as if everything were normal. "Caroline." Fighting the urge to stay where she was, Caroline stepped out of Klaus' embrace, proceeding curtsy to the elder Mikaelson.

"M'lord." She said, before looking at Elijah, only to find him staring back amusedly.

"Forgive me if I interrupted something." He said, voice colored in unexpected laughter.

"Well, brother, you did come at an inopportune time-" Klaus started before being interrupted by the blonde girl who stood beside him.

"Please, m'lord, it was of no great importance." She stated sincerely, shooting a quick glare at Klaus. She then stepped farther away, dropping into a curtsy. "I am afraid I have duties do attend to." She said, rather stiffly. "M'lords." She nodded at them both, but before she could take her leave of them, Klaus grabbed one of her hands dropping a light kiss on it.

"Until tonight." He winked, tone implying that he had some very ungentlemanly plans for her. Caroline ripped her hand away from his and walked out, annoyed that he just had to embarrass her like that in front of his brother.

Still, she could not help her fluttering stomach.

* * *

Klaus smirked as he watched Caroline walk out of the door; her fierceness was rather endearing. It was like watching a kitten get angry… well, perhaps a lioness. Just as she exited, the youngest Mikaelson brother entered the room, looking arrogant as usual.

"She is quite something, isn't she?" Klaus said, still smirking.

"I am sure she is, dear brother… Though I must say, it is especially so when she is walking away from _you_." Kol mocked, coming to stand beside his elder brothers.

"Say another word and I'll tear out your liver." Klaus stated, not even bothering to look at Kol.

"Always with the threats, brother, I wonder did you have to threaten that delicious girl into your bed, as well?" Kol asked. "Or did you try to charm her first?"

"Kol." The elder hissed. "You would be wise to-

"I was only saying the truth of the matter, no need to be displeased by it." Kol interjected. "As they say, Nik, self confidence is key into wooing women."

Elijah sighed as he watched them bicker, Kol causing Niklaus' fury to come around as only he could, the elder of the two looking about ready to explode and the younger smirking like a Cheshire cat. Elijah knew he should best step in before any of the house was destroyed in their little 'disagreement'. Goodness knows, they had enough to worry about.

* * *

Kol had finally left, having accomplished in his mission to irk Niklaus, much to Elijah's relief. He needed to have a moment with his brother.

"What is it you wanted of me, Elijah?" Said brother asked.

"I simply wish to have a word." He replied, serious as ever.

"Then speak." Klaus said, his voice commanding.

"It is about the Forbes girl." Elijah replied, almost tentatively.

"What concern is Caroline of yours?" Klaus asked, irritated.

"She is of much concern to _all_ of us, Niklaus. Do not forget, though she may be your… _mistress,_ she is still your Forbes servant, and it is not in our best interest to give her family any reason to harm us."

"Yes, yes, they know many of our secrets, but they also owe us a great debt. We have been protecting their bloodline for many ages now, ever since we had saved the life of Rickard Forbes, their ancestor. Without us, their entire family would be ended, their name dragged through the mud. It is thanks to us they hold any prestige at all." The younger replied, smug. The Forbes family owed them a lot and they all knew it.

"I am well aware… I simply mean to ask; is this wise, this relationship that you have sprung up with Caroline?"

"Wise? Perhaps not. However, I am always two steps ahead, you would do best to remember that, brother." Klaus' face turned suddenly very serious, dark, yet without a trace of anger. It was in these moments that you could see the true monster in him; he was not at his most monstrous when he was in a rage, but when he was quiet, contemplative, then the vampire in him could burn down cities.

"Even in the case of her?" Elijah replied, daringly. Klaus hesitated for a moment, the tiniest slither of worry showing, before he steeled himself and his mask flew back down.

"Yes, even in her case. As you said, she is just a human. She will not be around for too long in any event." It was true; humans lived scandalously short lives. The thought of that made Klaus strangely nervous, angry even.

"You do realize that we are not short of enemies… If you allow yourself to care for her, harm will come to her." Elijah stated after a few moments, his voice oddly monotone. "I am glad you have found some happiness, brother, but, as I have told you before, do not forget your own wisdom. Love is a vampire's greatest weakness."

"There is no love between us, only companionship." Klaus interjected, staring at Elijah, who simply looked back with an eyebrow raised. Suddenly, Klaus had enough of this chat, and already in a foul mood from Kol's pestering, he blurred across to Elijah, slamming him into a wall. "I grow bored of this little game of yours; you wish me to leave Caroline alone, do you? Well, _I_ do not. So I will continue to do with her as I will, and you will stay out of the way." Just as abruptly as before, Klaus dropped Elijah, who landed on his feet, staring at his younger brother in disappointment. Said brother gave it no more thought and walked out the door, ignoring the traitorous voice that told him Elijah may just be right.

* * *

Elijah watched as Niklaus exited the room, his shoulders tense as he walked away. His younger brother was always quite the impulsive one, much to his chagrin. It had been difficult between them as of late, for almost six decades now they had quarreled. Ever since Katerina, nothing had been the same.

Niklaus, Rebekah and himself used to close as siblings could be. But they drifted apart, Niklaus becoming more and more vicious, Rebekah becoming petty. It was disappointing, in all honesty. It became so much so that his brother lost all respect for human life, his sister following quite closely. Elijah, though, he had never wanted to take human life.

And yet, even he, for all his morals, found himself doing so. Sometimes he even enjoyed it. It was in his nature as a vampire.

Elijah realized he was beginning to tire of this existence, following around his brother, playing at his command, trying to keep his siblings under control. Running from their father, the very same man who created them in the first place.

In the last years as the line in between Niklaus and himself grew bigger and bigger, Elijah began to doubt that he knew the whole truth about what had happened so many centuries ago. He knew Mikael was not a good man, but, for all his faults, he had loved his wife. Why would he kill Esther?

Elijah wished to know, but, for now, finding the whole truth would have to wait. He had to do one last thing to help his brother.

Caroline Forbes. The name brought many thoughts to Elijah's mind. Maidservant. Human. Kind and good. Klaus' new obsession. Elijah could see from the very beginning Niklaus' entrancement with her. It had not been as such since Tatia and he believed that was perhaps why his brother had been pulled to Caroline in the first place, because, however small, something in Caroline reminded him of Tatia. Tatia, the very same girl he couldn't save from his parents, the first girl they had both loved.

And Elijah now saw what the similarity was; it was their mutual strength. In Tatia it had been obvious, she took care of herself, was able to spar verbally with any man or woman. With Caroline it was a little more hidden, in fact, at first Elijah had thought she was meek, just a girl thrown into a world that was too much for her. But now Elijah could see he had been fundamentally wrong about her. She was strong in the way she held herself, how she was fiercely protective of her family.

It was why Elijah felt the odd need to protect Caroline too, because Tatia was his first love as well. But, to him, not only did the human girl bear resemblance to Tatia, but also to his sister. His sister who had died too young and lived too long. Rebekah was also fiercely protective of her brothers, no matter how much she hid it under her snark and sarcasm. Elijah had never protected his sister, not in the way Niklaus had tried to and, in the end, this life had taken its toll on the only Mikaelson girl, just as it had on himself. So, Elijah promised himself he would try to protect Caroline from herself and from Niklaus.

For the sake of Tatia and of Rebekah and, indeed, for the sake of Caroline herself.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

"M'lord." Anna greeted, curtsying deeply to the older vampire, brown locks obscuring her face.

"Ah, yes, Anna, how is your mother, Pearl?" Elijah asked, after gesturing for her to straighten.

"Well, m'lord. She is happy to be in the favor of your family. Allowing me to work for you as ally and servant is of great honor to us." The youngster replied, a sweet and innocent smile on her face.

"I am happy you think so, child." Elijah replied, before suddenly turning completely serious. "I am afraid I do not have the luxury of small talk at this moment, Anna; I have a task of the utmost importance for you. Should you complete this, you can return to your mother, if you so wish."

"M'lord?" Anna replied, looking grave and uncharacteristically stern.

"You must at all costs keep this to yourself. Do not tell my siblings, do not tell the Forbes', and, certainly, do not tell your mother. I know you well enough that I believe I can give you this task without compelling you. But, should you betray my confidence in any way, you will find that I am not always so merciful." Elijah stated, towering over the much younger vampire.

"Of course, m'lord. It will be done with the utmost secrecy." Anna replied.

_Good_, Elijah thought, _maybe this would all work out after all._

* * *

_France 1550_

He sat quietly, contemplatively. The girl, Katerina, had done well. Everything was coming together. Looking at the white oak stake in his hand, Mikael smirked.

_Not long anymore, boy._

**That's it! I know this chapter was a bit short and filler-y but I think you all deserved a little klaroline love after waiting 15 chapters for them to finally get somewhere :) Anyways, just to give everyone a rough timeline, I have four to six more chapters planned and an epilogue ;) **

**By the way, you people are just awesome; last chapter was the most reviews I have gotten for any of them so thank you!**

**About last chapter, I just went to reread it and I saw some atrocious mistakes; I will go back and fix everything once I begin my edits. Also, regarding Anna, I know she may seem a little different from the actual show, but that's because I am basing her off the flashbacks that we see in 1864, where she is a little more innocent :)**

**Oh, and one last thing before I go: A lot of people have been asking for sex scenes on a few of my stories and I just wanna tell you that they most likely will not happen, at least not in graphic detail, for a number of reasons:**

**1) I am crap at writing them, sad but true. ****2) They are not allowed on this site and I really don't want to get my stories deleted, I have put a lot of time and effort in them. ****3) I don't think it's absolutely necessary, so…**

**BUT, don't worry, I promise I am not going to make my stories all hand-holding and kiss on the cheeks; this is klaroline after all. I hope you all understand and you aren't disappointed.**

**Anyways, thanks for sticking with me and let me know what you think :)**

**(Sorry for the long A/N!)**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	18. Down Days

**Thank you to **_**Guest**_**, shadowfaxangel, anonymoose, RadientWingsLove (x2), bustyasianbeauties (x2), johnadc3, **_**Guest,**_** Lisolotte, Rain3212, Paris101, Kiiimberly (x3), babyvfan, arabella, Luv22, ylianaqt, Curious Blonde, Lazerlicious, Sci-fi Christian, Lily94, Lii, LorenaLaufey, angel1725, assasinlenna, KlausNCaroline, InuGnome17, Catherina1996, NicolePJ, **_**Guest,**_** I Am Pheonyx, PsychVamp, BiancaR, Clara, EternalFlame0410, BlueJean452 for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.**

Chapter 17

Down Days

_London, England 1551_

Many months had passed since Caroline had accepted Klaus into her life; The new year had come again, as well as Caroline's birthday. So far, things were going as well as they had expected. It was not easy, at first, to get used to the idea, and it was harder still, at times, to know how they were supposed to behave around others and themselves. But, they got it, eventually. Still, there were things that they quite disagreed on as well. Such as Caroline's work.

Caroline wished to continue serving her lord, as was befitting of her Forbes status. Klaus, however, was adamant against it, saying no… _companion_ of his should be doing the work as lowly as that of a servant. This, naturally, led to Caroline taking offense, after all, her entire family was comprised of servants; she herself had trained since birth for it, it was why she was educated as she was. She was not about to step away from her birthright, dim though it was. She was just as much a Forbes as her brother, her uncle, and her cousins and she would complete her ten-year, just as she was expected to.

After hearing her reasons, and having been given the silent treatment for near a week, Klaus finally conceded, much to his own resentment of the idea. And so Caroline continued to run the estate with her family, keeping order for the Mikaelsons. Of course, this brought it's own troubles.

_Caroline walked down to the kitchens, a happy smile on her face. She had finally been able to convince Klaus to let her continue in her service and they spent a good deal of the rest of the morning making up after their little spat. _

_It was odd she had to admit; she had never thought she would be particularly exuberant about being a servant, but, if she did her part, she felt as if she was earning her keep. She felt that she was not some bought mistress. In a strange way her servitude marked both her dependence and her independence._

_She arrived in the kitchens, heading straight for the head chef. As she stood discussing daily duties with the man, she began to become aware of the fact that some of the kitchen maids were looking at her, staring at her. She tried ignoring it, but eventually it became too obvious and she turned around, questioningly. Immediately the maids turned back away and Caroline decided to take no more notice. That is, until she heard the whispers._

"_Look at her. What does Lord Niklaus see in her?" One girl said, her voice quiet and sneering. Caroline froze in her movements._

"_I don't understand it either. Anyone can see she is nothing but plain." The other replied, even more haughtily._

"_I heard she would spread her legs for anyone, mayhap that is why she has the Lord's attentions. I'd bet that as soon as he bores of her sharing his bed, he'd drop like the whore she is." The first girl returned, words dripping in contempt._

_Much to her shame, Caroline felt tears blur in her eyes. She felt as if someone drove a knife through her gut, planning to kill her with cruel words. _Stop crying_, she told herself, _you are not a child._ She turned suddenly, determined._

"_If I am so beneath you, why do you not have the courage to say that to me directly?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, her eyes flaming. Both maids started in surprise, shocked that Caroline had overheard their discussion. _Typical,_ Caroline thought. One of the girls narrowed her eyes, before stepping forward._

"_I should have expected no less from you." She practically hissed. "Eavesdropping. I suppose whores really _don't_ have souls." Caroline ignored the sting that came with the words, focusing on trying to calm herself. She was about to retort when a voice came from the doorway of the kitchen._

"_You know, you might want tread carefully; insulting my sister is never the smartest idea." Robb said, smiling amiably, but Caroline could see the angry glint in his blue eyes. "Any slight to her, she will return tenfold and, though I'm sure I am needlessly reminding you, she is a Forbes, therefore she is of higher ranking than you… Let us not forget that little fact…" It seemed the entire kitchen staff stopped and looked in. After a moment of heavy silence, the maid took a step back before curtsying and running off. "I should have sacked her on the spot." Robb muttered as soon as the girl was out of his sight._

"_Grateful as I am, I can take care of myself, brother." Caroline said, watching the girl exit with quiet relief. She wasn't quite sure what she would have done if the maid had stayed._

"_I know, Care, but, it's a brother's duty to defend their beloved sister's honor, is it not?" Robb returned, smiling cheekily. Caroline rolled her eyes, but returned his grin._

Though she did not tell him, Caroline was thankful to Robb for defending her, especially considering his misgivings about her relationship with Klaus. Of course, when she first announced to him her final decision, he had been stubbornly against it. But, it seemed he had learned from previous mistakes and had continued to trust in his sister's judgment, instead of turning his back on her. That did not mean Robb was left in a particularly good mood the days after, however. He got over it, though, just as Caroline knew he would.

When she told Uncle Richard the same thing, he had quite the different reaction.

"_I only wish for you to be careful, sunshine." Her uncle said, looking down at her, his kind brown eyes filled with a quiet concern. "You'll find giving your heart is much easier than taking it back." _

"_I will be careful, uncle. You should not worry so much, it'll make you even more gray!" Caroline chirped, trying to get the normally cordial Richard Forbes to smile again. Unfortunately, her good mood was not as infectious as she thought._

"_As you say, sunshine." Is all he said, pecking her forehead lightly and walking off._

Caroline knew why her uncle had been so wary of those new developments. He simply did not want his niece to end up in the same situation as he. _But that won't happen, Klaus and I both know of our feelings for each other. _A small part of Caroline doubted the truth in her statement, but she soon crushed it.

The sudden knock on the door caused her to stray from her thoughts.

"Come in." Caroline stated as she turned away from the window, effectively pulling herself out of her turmoil.

"Miss, I have brought you some tea." Anna walked in, a silver tray balanced perfectly on her arm.

"More tea?" Caroline asked, shaking her head in amusement. "It seems every time I turn you are there with a steaming cup." She smiled, and took the offered cup, watching as Anna deftly placed the teapot back on the tray.

"Alas, what is there to say, miss?" The younger girl replied, brown curls bobbing as moved to stand beside Caroline. "I simply enjoy your company." This was another surprise brought on in the last months: her friendship with Anna. Much as Caroline like Lady Rebekah, there was the barrier between them of servant and master, so, having Anna around was a breath of fresh air for the human girl.

"So, any new gossip that I am privy to, Anna?" The blonde asked, eyes glinting mischievously. Immediately, the brunette began telling her of the rumors and scandals that circulated the estate, about how one of the stable boys had asked a maid to run away together and about the maid's eventual refusal.

Caroline felt herself relaxing a bit in the company of her friend, her mind finally turning completely away from Uncle Richard's words.

* * *

Richard walked steadily through the long halls of the estate, leading the tailor to Lady Rebekah's chambers. The lady, as per usual, required some new gowns. For what reason, Richard did not know, but Rebekah was a bit girly when it came to certain things; those things also showed just at what age she was actually turned. He was simply relieved the tailor was a different one than that weasel of a man from before.

"Do not do anything to upset her, Lady Rebekah can throw quite the tantrum, make no mistake." Richard said as he guided the young tailor up the stairwell; even he himself tended to avoid his lady when she in such a state, she could be quite frightening for someone so delicate looking. "Here we are." He announced as he reached the mahogany door that lead into her chambers.

"Is the tailor finally here, Richard?" The blonde haired vampire in question asked as soon as he stepped in her rooms.

"Yes, m'lady." The oldest Forbes in the estate replied after a respectful bow, pulling the boy in gently by the elbow.

"Lady Rebekah." The tailor said, following Richard's lead into a bow. Rebekah smiled, before standing in front of the young man and, much to Richard's surprise, holding a hand out to the tailor. _Lady Rebekah never acts so courteously around strangers, _he thought, slightly confused at her reaction.

The tailor took her outstretched hand and kissed the top of it, looking up at the blonde woman through his long lashes. "A pleasure, I'm sure." Rebekah said, a light grin gracing her lovely face.

"The pleasure is _all_ mine, m'lady." The young man replied causing Lady Rebekah to… giggle? _She's giggling now?_ Richard felt his eyes narrow as he stared at the young tailor, a fire suddenly running through his veins. He was struck by the unexpected wish to have the previous tailor here instead of this new one. He had liked the younger man well enough before but now Richard could not help the dislike that began festering in his mind.

He leaned against one of the walls, watching quietly as Lady Rebekah led said man, _by the hand_, to the center of the room, gesturing for him to begin. Richard hoped that this session would not take as long as it usually did. He felt his anger continue to rise as he watched Rebekah laugh at something the tailor said, and Richard realized, much to his own shame and embarrassment, that he was _jealous._

That might explain why his spirits lifted when the tailor accidently pricked Lady Rebekah quite a few times, causing the woman to scowl down at him and get more and more annoyed. _It seems he is loosing his charms_. Soon enough, the vampire had had enough and she sent the young man away, but not before having what seemed to be quite the harsh word with him. Richard was pleased to see the blasted tailor run away with his tail between his legs.

When the man finally exited, Richard approached Lady Rebekah, an unusually bright smile on his usually serene face.

"I had had such high hopes for him too…" Rebekah muttered, still scowling. She crossed her arms when she noticed her manservant's unhidden grin, an eyebrow raised in question. "Why are so happy?" She asked.

"It is nothing of import, m'lady." He replied cheerfully. She looked at him carefully for another moment, trying to read him, before sighing and returning his beam with a grin of her own.

"You should smile more, Richard." She stated with a rueful shake of her head. "It makes you look… less old." She chuckled as his smile turned into a concerned frown. He doesn't look that old, does he? "It's just too simple to jest with you." Rebekah said at his confused and worried look, giggling. _It seems the bloody tailor is not the only one who can make her giggle_, he thought, strangely content.

"As you always tell me, m'lady." Richard returned, one side of his lips pulled up in a half-smile as he looked down into her blue eyes. He followed her as she sat in one of the maroon sofas that stood in the room, standing beside her, waiting for her next command.

"I seem to be lacking in female company as of late." Rebekah said, looking up at him curiously. "Your niece is certainly busy nowadays, always off with my brother as she is."

Mention of Caroline took away Richard's pleasant feelings and replaced them with an innate concern for the younger Forbes'.

"_You'll find giving your heart is much easier than taking it back."_

Richard hoped that Caroline would heed his words, it was too late for him, but maybe she could keep herself from the thrall of the Originals. Though, he fully supported his niece, he did not want her to know the pain of heartbreak. It was a pain he knew all too well. Discreetly, he glanced back at Lady Rebekah, finding her looking pensively out the window.

He knew most men might feel resentment, being constantly ignored or overlooked by the woman they loved. As it was, however, Richard could never himself to feel as such about Rebekah. Something about her simply kept him close to her, willing to stay by her side, even as a servant.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by said woman's kind smile. "Are you alright, Richard?" She asked, an uncharacteristic concern hidden in her voice.

"I am just fine, m'lady." He replied, though they both knew he was not telling the entire truth. Richard turned to glance outside the window again, looking at nothing in particularly.

He just hoped it would be fine for Caroline.

* * *

Caroline stepped into the stables, a bright grin on her sunny face. She felt much better after having spent the last half-hour gossiping with Anna. Wrapping her cloak around her tightly, she made her way to where the saddles were kept, a stable hand quick to come help her. Only a few moments later her mare, Myra, was ready for a ride. The stable hand offered to help her on the horse, but Caroline politely declined and led Myra out of the wooden building, standing her in the field right next it, waiting.

She and Klaus had agreed to go for a ride today, seeing as it had been more than a week since Caroline took Myra out for a good canter. Caroline hummed tonelessly as she waited patiently, stroking her mare's back gently.

She jumped as a pair of hands tugged at her waist, whipping her around and pulling her into a hard chest. A second later his lips were over hers.

"Hello, love." Klaus said with a smirk as he pulled away. Caroline hit him once on the chest as she stepped out of his embrace. "What was that for, sweetheart?"

"You startled me. _Again._" She replied, smiling playfully.

"Well then, let me make it up to you." Klaus pulled her back to him, his face hovering in front of her. He leaned down, intent on her lips, only for her turn away last second causing his lips to land her cheek instead. Caroline giggled at his disappointed expression as she pulled herself out of his arms. "Tease."

Smiling, she took his hand into her smaller one and pulled him to the horses, his black stallion standing tall beside her chocolate mare. "Come now, we have riding to do." She said, turning back to face Klaus for a moment.

As she attempted to mount Myra he helped her up, after chuckling heartily at her efforts. Soon they were both astride their horses and they ran out into the fields.

* * *

Caroline's laughs surrounded him as they cantered back to the stables, having been riding for more than an hour now. Klaus could not help but admire her as she rode in front of him, finally sitting _confidently_ on her horse. It had taken a while, but he had managed to make a decent rider of her.

Caroline looked simply stunning in her dark green cloak, her blond hair falling out of the bun she had pulled it, a rosy blush on her cheeks. She looked so _human_, fair and fragile. _She is truly beautiful_. _Magnificent._

Outside the stable, they slowed their horses and Klaus jumped off his stallion, landing steadily. He saw Caroline slip off her own horse, only to end up ankle deep in mud. Her annoyed groan caused him to let out his thousandth chuckle of the day. What had he done to deserve such a creature?

He walked to her, smirking at her pout as she tried to free her boots from the treacherous mud. Placing his hands firmly under her elbows, he pulled her free with ease.

"My hero." She said, gracing him with a small, sweet smile and kissing him gently on the cheek. Before she could pull completely away, however, he turned his face to hers, their noses almost touching. He touched a hand to her chin, before pushing some of her unruly hair behind her ear.

"What shall we do now, _m'lady_?" He asked teasingly, smirking as she seemingly shook herself out of a trance. _Glad to see she has not become entirely unaffected by my presence. _She cleared her throat and took a small step back.

"Nothing, I'm afraid... I have duties to attend to."

This time it was Klaus who groaned. "Duties? Can they not wait?" He pulled her close again only to have her push him away softly once more.

"Unfortunate as it is, they really can't, Klaus. It is _you_, after all, that assigned them to me." She replied, mischievously. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Very well then." He stated, leaning down and putting his forehead to hers. "You go on ahead and attend to your duties, I will see to it that the horses are properly unsaddled."

"But-" She began protesting, disagreeing with him taking care of the horses alone. Myra was a gift _from_ him; he shouldn't have to care for her alone. Klaus cut her off before she could explain, however.

"I simply want you to get to your chores as soon as possible, sweetheart, that way I will have all to myself even sooner." He said, his voice low and gravelly, causing an unexpected shiver to run through Caroline's body. She nodded once. "I'm pleased you agree, love." He stated with a smirk before leaning down and kissing her soundly. He would have gladly continued kissing her, but he knew if they continued they would not be able to stop so he pulled abruptly away. He gave her a rare, dimpled smile. "I'll see you soon, Caroline."

Almost hazily, the blonde girl turned and walked away, leaving Klaus standing alone. Without Caroline beside him, Klaus felt suddenly cold and wary. Looking up into the sky, he was surprised to see the clouds darkening and the wind beginning to howl.

He frowned, his gut filling with a sense of foreboding. Something wasn't right.

Klaus hoped it was nothing as he watched Caroline's figure become smaller and smaller as she walked farther and farther away.

* * *

Caroline entered the estate, glad to be free of the cold winds. She undid the fastening of her deep green cloak, throwing it on the chair placed close to one of the many backdoors. Bending down, she began to untie her muddy boots, sighing as she noticed just how dirty they were. _This is going to take a lot of scrubbing._ Placing the boots by the chair as well, she was suddenly aware of the presence behind her, hearing the telltale _whoosh_ that came with supernatural speed.

"Klaus, I had thought I told you that there are things I must attend to-" Caroline's exasperated statement died off as she looked upon the complete stranger. He was of an older age, regal-looking, and stood in a welcoming sort of stance. Had Caroline not seen the coldness in his eyes, however, or if she did not already know that he was a vampire, and an unfamiliar vampire at that, she might have greeted the stranger differently. There was also something about him that simply disturbed her. "Who are you?" She hissed, backing up a few steps.

"Really, I would expect a warmer welcome from a servant such as you, perhaps my son's attentions have made you a little too _lax._" The man replied, his tone sneering, a half-smirk on his cruel face.

"Son…" Caroline whispered, before her eyes widened in realization. "_You're_ Mikael." Oh yes, she all about Mikael, she knew he was a vampire and that there was not love lost between him and Klaus… but what was he doing here? She had thought… She had assumed he was long gone by the way Klaus had spoken of him, yet here he stood.

"How very _perceptive_ of you." Mikael mocked, coming in closer.

"W-What are you doing here?" She expressed her thoughts, ashamed to find her voice wavering. _You cannot show any weakness!_

"Really, I would expect more of a Forbes servant." He tutted, walking even closer until he loomed over her. The menace in his step only furthered her wariness. Caroline tried back up some more but Mikael's hand shot out and clamped around her upper arm, holding her in place. She winced at his tight grip, struggling to free herself. "It won't work." He admonished her in a way a parent talks to a child. _And what a brilliant parent he was, _Caroline thought icily. Still, she stopped in her struggle, knowing it would useless in the end. She would save her energy.

"Better." He said, a smile coming to his thin lips. "I am happy for your cooperation, perhaps this shall make things go more smoothly… Now, tell me, _Caroline_, where is Niklaus?"

"How do you know my name?" She asked with narrowed eyes, ignoring his question entirely.

"A man must be prepared in his plan." He replied. "Now tell me _where_ he is." Caroline kept her silence, looking at Mikael in defiance. He looked expectantly at her for another moment before a dark look crossed his face and his grip tightened around her arm, his other hand raising to her other bicep. He nearly lifted her off the ground as he shook her. "Tell me where he is, girl!" He demanded, anger clear in his voice. _Is this the face that terrified his children? _Caroline found herself wondering as she stared at him in stubborn quiet. _This is the man who slaughtered his kin and turned them into vampires?_

"I am right here, _Father_." They were interrupted by a voice from the doorway. Mikael swiftly turned around, pulling Caroline with him so she stood facing Klaus, her back to Mikael's chest. His hands were placed on her shoulders and an outsider may have thought it was an affectionate touch, but everyone present knew differently.

Caroline met Klaus' worried gaze. _He looks so serious, so unlike he was only ten minutes before._ She watched as his eyes ran over her briefly and she knew he was scanning her for injuries. The relief on his face when he found none stayed only a moment, the stony wall devoid of emotion returning soon thereafter. He turned his gaze to Mikael.

"Let her go." He stated, a hand raised in what was meant to be a calming gesture but was ruined by the tightness of his jaw and his other hand clenching in and out of a fist. "She has no part in our quarrel."

"Does she not?" Caroline's captor questioned. "I would not be so sure, Niklaus." His hands traveled up her shoulders to the either side of her delicate throat.

"Do _not _harm her." Klaus growled, finally losing control of his fiery temper as he watched the blonde girl get manhandled. Mikael simply smirked darkly in return, letting out a low chuckle.

"Always with the temper…" He scorned. "It shall be your downfall."

Caroline felt the hands around her neck, tight and caging. The fingers dug into her soft skin and she felt her vision blur in panic. One of the rough hands moved to her cheek, holding it in a painful grip. _Let go,_ she thought, _let go, let go. Get off me. _She wanted to scream, she wanted to _fight_, but instead she stood frozen, unable to make herself move in her fear.

"You shall know my pain, _boy_." The deep, gravelly voice said from behind her.

She felt her blood spike, breathing coming out in short gasps. She met Klaus' gaze, saw his beautiful blue eyes widen in utter horror, saw him begin in his run, reaching out to her. Vaguely, she was aware he called something out, a terrible cry of pain.

But, she knew… She knew what would happen.

With shuddering gasp, she shut her eyes and felt a tear run down her cheek. _Why?_ _Why now?_

Knowing what she had to do, what she _needed _to do, she opened her eyes once more, just once, and looked back to Klaus. She would give him this one last thing. She focused on him and, through a shroud of terror and panic, smiled the tiniest of smiles. _It's going to be okay, m'lord, my Klaus, _she wanted to say, _it will be alright, you'll see._

His hand was so close.

_Crack_.

Black. Nothing. Gone.

**Don't worry; this isn't the end just yet. Everything will be explained next chapter ;)**

**Sorry for the long wait in between updates, it won't be so long this time! I just couldn't get this chapter right; I wrote it and rewrote it, and now I'm finally relatively happy with it so phew :)**

**By the way thanks for the 600+ reviews, you guys are amazing :D**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**

**Edited - 18/08/12**


	19. Dark Cries

**Thank you to Starry-eyed (x2), midnight shadow of darkness (x2), Arabella, Kiiimberly, shadowfaxangel, babyvfan, jau0062, LilithsEvilTwin, **_**Guest,**_** beachbumyeahh, Red Eyed Newborn, Lazerlicious, Nilicat, Gest, jonadcv3, frootluip, DawnWalnut, Clara, O, Jillian, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, **_**Guest,**_** xx-MissM-xx NinjaKitten3.0, assasinlenna, PsychVamp, BlueJean452, TVDGirlLove, LorenaLaufey, OKBooey31, **_**Guest**_**, InuGnome17, epic sweetness712, Curious Blonde, Lily94, peanut mm, Catherina1996, Margot1121, Luv22, BiancaR, and **_**Guest**_** for reviewing! Also thanks to those of you who have fav'd or alerted this story!**

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Chapter 18

Dark Cries

_London, England 1551_

"You will feel my pain, _boy._" Mikael hissed, the man Klaus once called Father.

Klaus watched her, he watched as her eyes widened, he heard her pulse quickening in fear. He saw how her eyes closed, how she let a tear fall. _Caroline. Please not Caroline. _In that moment, there was nothing more that he missed than the sight of her eyes. He reached to her, running, moving as fast as he could. _I won't let anything happen to you. I can't. I won't._

Miraculously, she opened her eyes again and fixed them upon him, and, for the slightest second all he saw was blue. Then she smiled at him, actually _smiled_, as if to say, _it's alright_.

Only it wasn't.

His hand was so close, he could feel her heat and he could hear her heartbeat, clear as bell.

The hands on Caroline's neck tightened and suddenly Mikael's arms moved in one vicious motion.

_Crack!_

Just as Mikael dropped her, Klaus had reached Caroline and he was pulling her to him. For a moment he was fooled, he thought he imagined the sickening crack, she looked so untouched, peaceful. But, then he noticed the other things; the little flaws that weren't there before and it broke his desperate illusion.

He could no longer hear her heartbeat, nor could he feel her heat. Her pale, creamy neck lay upon his arm at an unnatural angle. Her eyes, those beautiful blue orbs that had entranced him over and over, stared blankly up at him and her little smile still sat there, mockingly.

She was dead. Gone from the world.

"NO!" Vaguely Klaus realized that the agonized, guttural cry came from his own mouth. He wrapped his arms around the blonde girl, this blonde angel, tightly, locking her in his grip as they both fell to the floor. "Caroline. Come on, sweetheart. Breathe for me. _Please_." He begged, pleaded for all he was worth, but even he knew it was in vain.

She was dead. Gone from the world.

Shakily, Klaus stroked her cheek, pushing some of her unruly hair back. "Caroline." He whispered, brokenly. He was shocked to feel a single tear fall from his eye.

"It seems you really _did_ care for the girl." Came a cruel voice from above him, and Klaus looked up into the face of his once-father. "Katerina was right, after all." Upon seeing Mikael's smirk of triumph, Klaus felt an anger rise in his veins, running through his blood. The fire within him burned strongly, furiously, and, within seconds, Klaus' vampiric nature responded.

He felt the blood rush into his eyes, darkening them into a menacing red. His canines sharpened into the finest of points, deadly and dangerous. Klaus glanced back down at Caroline for a moment, knowing she would have hated to see him so angry. _"Why do you always let your anger control you, Klaus?" _He could imagine her saying to him, her tone disapproving and hands at her hips. But, she was not here to argue with, to talk to, to kiss, to make love to…

She was dead. Gone from the world.

And it was all Mikael's fault.

"_You._ You _killed_ her." Klaus snarled, pulling his lips back to show his fangs, intimidatingly. It had no affect on his 'father', who simply looked back with a mask of complete indifference. "She was an innocent in this!" Klaus bellowed, his heart still clenching, the grief hiding barely under the surface. The black hole in his heart was widening as the realization of her… of her death became more and more real.

"I wonder when is that last time _you_ spared an innocent?" Mikael replied, his eyes ablaze with a sudden anger. "I daresay, I gave her a cleaner death than you would, were you in my place. You have killed my love and now I have killed yours… Of course, I am not finished in my vengeance."

Klaus growled at him, snapping his jaw. But his fury began loosing its fuel, for, much as he hated and loathed to think of it, Mikael's words rang true. As the red flame of his anger dissipated, all that was left to him was a bone-deep grief and a hole where there once was any other feeling. His entire being ached with her loss. It felt unreal, like a bad dream. Only, Klaus had not dreamed in centuries, he had not dared to.

And now he knew why, for anything he dreamed of, or wanted, Mikael took away in one fell swoop. Because he killed Esther, his mother, Mikael's wife.

Klaus looked back down to Caroline, to the empty shell that she now was and he began to understand Mikael's pain. He touched her cheek, startled at how cold she was. She would never be warm again. Silently, he placed two fingers over her eyelids, and closed her unseeing eyes. Then, with the utmost care, he began to stand from where he sat, laying her gently on the floor. When he was upright, he took a deep breath before facing his once-father. He looked at him apathetically, void of emotion.

"If you are going to end me, you had better do it now, _Father_, or I swear on everything I am that I will find _you_ and end you." Klaus stated almost factually, his eyes still dark with blood.

"You will not succeed, Niklaus, even you know that." Mikael replied, relishing in the younger vampire's pain and anger.

"I said, kill me _now_, or GO!" Klaus let his fragile control break and the next thing he knew he had Mikael held up against the wall, his hand tight around the man's neck, snarling in his face. He was about to smash his hand into Mikael's skull, when said vampire decided to fight back, he shoved Klaus, making the younger vampire fly across the room and into a brick wall.

Suddenly, Mikael flashed to Klaus and crouched before him, a stake held tight in his hand as he touched it lightly to Klaus' chest. Normally a stake would not deter him, but Klaus knew immediately what stake it was his father was wielding. It was the white oak stake. The one stake that could kill him.

As Mikael lifted his arm, Klaus could see his own death, but then the older vampire froze in his place and Klaus soon realized why he had a sudden hesitation, after all, he too could hear the footsteps of his siblings; it looked like they finally heard the ruckus and Mikael only had the one stake, he stood no chance. Using this distraction, Klaus' most basic instinct for survival kicked in, and he lashed out with his foot, causing Mikael to go flying much like he himself had.

His father was quick to return to his feet, however, and he looked extremely angry. But, it seemed that he also had a survival instinct as he snarled, taking a step back instead of forward. "I suppose your continued suffering will have to do for now." He sneered, before he blurred away leaving nothing but dust and a dead body behind.

As soon as Mikael was gone, Klaus felt his anger recede completely for lack of someone to direct it at. Now that the fire had left his veins, he, instead, felt them filling the with ice of grief. Suddenly not finding the will to stand back up, he dragged himself across the cool stone floor to a figure lying still and shrouded in shadow. Once he reached Caroline, he simply stopped moving at all and just stared at her cold, dead body.

* * *

Klaus did not know how long he sat there in perpetual stillness. It could have been hours, days, but he realized it was probably more like seconds.

When his siblings arrived, he did not move, nor did he make a sound, even as he heard their gasps of surprised and pain. Distantly, he was aware of Rebekah rushing to them, sitting over Caroline, trying to get her to wake up, even though she knew it was of no use. He was aware of Kol standing stock still in the doorway, shocked to his bones and he was aware of Elijah placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Niklaus." Came his elder brother's grave voice; Klaus ignored him. "I have to tell you something of much importance." Still nothing. "Please, brother, you must listen to me."

Suddenly, Klaus whipped around and growled at Elijah, prepared to rip the older Mikaelson's throat out. _How dare he? _His eyes saw a furious red that could not be controlled. "Leave me alone!" He snarled, voice hard as steel. He heaved the hand from his shoulder, seething. "Go. Now." He roared. Klaus let go and turned away, looking back to Caroline.

"No." Elijah said. Klaus froze in his place.

"No?" The younger Mikaelson dragged out the word dangerously, his eyes flashing.

"No, I will not leave until you listen, Niklaus, for what I know changes everything." Only silence met him, but Elijah continued, hoping he would get through. "Some months past, after I had conversed with you, I realized some things. I realized you would not give Caroline up, but I also knew that our enemies would eventually find her. So I did the only thing I could to protect her and you…" Now it seemed Niklaus was listening, in fact, even Rebekah had managed to get out of the haze of her grief to look at him. "I told Anna to give her my blood and keep it in her system."

Silence. Complete silence.

"Do you understand, Niklaus? I protected her, she needed my protection… and now she will survive." Klaus stood up slowly, still looking down at Caroline, Rebekah joined him, and placed a hand on her brother's arm, comfortingly. For a long moment, nothing happened, until Niklaus turned to face him.

The expression on his face was a mix of joy, grief and disbelief. But, underneath it, there was also gratitude.

"You knew that if I had found out about this _before,_ that I most likely would have daggered out for it, and yet you have done so anyways..." Klaus approached Elijah and placed a hand on his shoulder, much like Elijah had to him only minutes before. "You have my thanks, brother." He stated quietly. Holding on for another moment, Niklaus finally let go and turned back to Caroline. He crouched and, with the utmost care, picked her up and walked out of the room, Rebekah following close behind.

"Kol." The Mikaelson in question turned around from his stance in the doorway to face Elijah. "Tell the Forbes' of what has happened, they deserve to know." Normally, Elijah would expect a snarky reply, or some witty statement, but it seemed even Kol could not bring himself to find the humor in the situation.

Kol went to do so and Elijah was left alone to his thoughts.

His father had killed Caroline and, by extension, he and Anna had saved Caroline. He was back in Niklaus' favor and he had managed to rescue an innocent in the process, so should he not be joyous?

Yet he wasn't. Yes, he was happy that Caroline would survive. But there were other things that he had learned today. Elijah had been closest of all his siblings to Mikael and Niklaus, so when he had heard his brother's scream, he had been able to get there faster, had been able to hear part of their conversation.

"_You have killed my love and now I have killed yours."_

No, Elijah decided, he was certainly not happy.

* * *

Klaus placed Caroline gently on her bed, Rebekah at his side, keeping close. Klaus did not know why his sister stayed with him, but he was grateful for her presence, if only for the simple reason he could not bear to be alone with a dead Caroline. He knew she would awaken soon, but that did not change the fact that, right at this moment, she was dead.

It was suffocating him, to see her like this. He did not understand how much hurt death could bring until now. It was his fault she had died. A logical part of his brain knew that blame lay with Mikael, and he would take his vengeance upon the man he once called father for it, but the other, more dark part of him disagreed.

It was he who decided to pursue his maidservant, a human girl with no real means of protecting herself. It was he who pushed her to give him a chance. It was he made her make her decision. It was he who had many enemies and who knew they would want to cripple him, but, against his better judgment, it was he who ignored the threat.

He looked down to Caroline's wrist where a sparkling bracelet encircled it, the bracelet he gave her.

If he could do all that, than how could he not protect her like Elijah had done?

Caroline had placed her trust in him and now he was to blame for turning her into something she never wanted to be.

_Klaus smirked as he sat across Caroline, watching her concentrate on the ledgers. She marked down a few things with her quill and a triumphant light entered her blue eyes._

"_Finished!" She exclaimed with wide smile. Klaus chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I wonder, Klaus, how did acquire so many businesses and properties?" She stood and walked around the dining room table to stand by his side. "There are almost too many to keep count." She smiled, teasingly._

"_When you will live an eternity, it becomes simple; one needs to earn one's living and I will never stop living. It is only logical that I have to support the existence of I and my family." He smirked up at her, before grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down into him, his movements lightening-fast. Caroline fell into his lap with a surprised 'oomf'. She laughed at his antics, before leaning further down to place a sound kiss to his lips. She pulled away before Klaus was satisfied, not that he was ever satisfied, of course._

"_What is it like? Being a vampire?" She asked suddenly, her voice curious. Klaus, though surprised by her abrupt interest in vampirism, answered her._

"_It is a heightened state." He began, idly playing with her hair as he thought on it. "Everything is more. You are stronger and faster, and this only increases with age. Your emotions are also much stronger, heightened as I said. Anger is rage, sadness is grief. But happiness is euphoria. Still, there is always the bloodlust, it is a part of everything you do." As he finished, Caroline looked to be contemplating his words. _

"_I do not think I would want to be a vampire… It seems so difficult, to live forever. Everything ends but you." She whispered, looking at him thoughtfully. Klaus simply smiled at her and kissed her, going back to their previous activity, trying to get his mind off the truth in her words._

As Klaus thought on it, everything began to overwhelm him. Caroline was becoming something she did not want to be… Mikael had killed her. Elijah had saved her. _It is my fault._

He did not deserve to be with her while she woke. He was not worthy. She had put her trust in him and he had done nothing keep it. With a deep, painful breath, he turned and headed for the door.

"Nik?" Rebekah called out from behind him, concerned. _I am not worthy of her concern; it is not I who died._

"I need some time to myself, Bekah." He answered, his voice low and gravelly. Almost weak.

With out another word, he exited the door, not once glancing back.

* * *

Rebekah walked slowly out Caroline's room as Robb entered, her mind far away. She felt completely drained, exhausted at the day's events but, now as it all finally sunk in, she could not stop _thinking_.

Her father had returned. She hadn't seen him, but he had been back and he done the despicable; he had _killed_ Caroline. Murdered her, broke her neck. All just to spite Nik. Normally, Rebekah did not care about the death of a human, she could not afford to.

But when she learned the girl who was center to Nik's affection… when she learned _her friend _was the one who had fallen, she had simply felt empty. Like the world had finally become too much and she turned away all emotion. She did not understand why she cared so much; humans lived short lives anyways… It had been too long a time since she had made ties to the world, Rebekah decided, she was unused to the bonds between people.

But, miracle of miracles, Caroline was not lost to them. The human girl would return as a vampire and everything would be right again, she knew, or, she hoped. Never in her life was Rebekah so happy that Elijah was there with them. Her sensible brother, he had spared them _all_ a lot of pain and for that she would forever be grateful.

As she wandered into the library, she was rather surprised to see a very familiar someone sitting hunched in front of the fire, slumped in the hard-backed chair. Concerned, she approached her manservant; Richard was never one to take idle breaks, even in a crisis.

"Richard?" She asked, keeping her voice quiet so as not to startle him. Regardless of her efforts, Richard sat abruptly up and looked up at her in shock. He hastily made to stand up, probably to bow, always courteous as he was. She put a hand lightly on his strong shoulder, keeping him in his seat. "Please, you do not need to bow, Richard. You have been by my side for thirteen years, I think perhaps we know each other well enough that I can call you 'friend'."

_There_, Rebekah thought, _I am already making more ties, or, well, confirming them._ Her manservant's eyes widened momentarily, but, upon seeing her smile, he returned it with a tiny grin of his own. "Very well, m'lady."

"Now, I can see something is bothering you…" She probed, looking at Richard curiously. To be honest, it worried her more than she thought it would to see him in pain. He was usually so calm, controlled. A comforting presence, someone you could depend upon and lean on. But, now it seemed that for once, _she_ would have to be a shoulder to lean on for _him_.

Richard looked hesitant for the slightest second, but then a familiar decisive light entered his brown eyes.

"It is just that… Well, m'lady, I am shamed to admit that the idea of Caroline turning into a vampire has been weighing on my mind more than it should." Richard looked down at his hands as he placed his elbows on his knees.

Rebekah took a moment to consider this development. She knew Richard was most likely feeling guilty and torn. Guilty because Caroline had died and he was her impromptu guardian of sorts and torn because he did not know whether to be happy for his niece's turning or not. _If I had known my family would turn into vampires beforehand, would I have reacted similarly?_

_No,_ she thinks, _I would have reacted worse. _A wave empathy went through her. Richard did not deserve such troubles; he was a kind and good man, he should have a kind and good life. Rebekah reached out and placed her hand over one of his much larger ones. His eyes snapped up to hers, questioningly, but Rebekah simply smiled at him understandingly.

Hanging his head again, he turned his own hand up and gripped hers, hanging on for dear life.

Rebekah did not mind.

She didn't even notice she squeezed his hand just as tightly.

* * *

Robb sat silently in the seat by her bedside. His eyes were red-rimmed and tired, his hair disheveled as he watched his little sister lay frighteningly immobile on her bed. There was no telltale rising and falling of her chest, there was no color in her cheeks. There was nothing because her heart was no longer beating. Caroline, his sweet little sister, was dead.

And so Robb sat and he watched over her, because she was vulnerable.

Now, he knew she would awaken, that she would live eternally in a state between life or death, but when he first saw her, lying with her neck broken, all logical thought had left his mind and he truly believed she was gone forever... Because all he saw was that Caroline, his sister, was dead. And it had hurt him more than he could bear.

For the first hour, he had screamed, despaired, taken out his anger and grief on the world. Because it wasn't fair. She was so young and her life had ended before it had begun. For the first time in a long time, he had cursed the Forbes family and their debt, for, had she not known about vampires and the Mikaelsons, Caroline would still be alive, human.

Eventually Robb had exhausted himself and fallen into the chair that had been placed by her bedside and, in his grief, he had begun remembering times long passed and he realized just how utterly he had failed his sister.

Robb remembered once, when he and Caroline had been much younger, four and eight respectively, a group of boys had got in their heads to pick on the little girl. Of course, Robb being the big brother, knew it was his duty to protect his sister, just as Mother had always told him. So, after a few harsh words and some harsher punches, Robb had successfully defended Caroline's honor and gotten away with only a black eye.

Robb smirked, at the time, he had thought Caroline would coo over him, and thank him profusely. Instead, she herself had punched him, _hard_, in the upper arm and told him that she could take care of herself, that he needn't defend her. Later that night, however, she had padded softly into his room and crawled under his covers, nightmares still fresh in her mind. He had promised her that night that he would always be there to protect her.

He had failed in that promise. He had failed himself. He had failed Caroline.

_Weakling,_ his mind whispered, _coward._ Robb did not have it in him to contradict that thought.

Still silent, he kept vigil over Caroline, his deep thoughts never far away. He was brought back to the day he left home, remembering how Caroline had hung onto him. It had been so difficult, extracting her from his arms and walking out the door. Now he wished he had stayed where he was and hadn't let her go. But he had and there was no way to change the past.

_Your fault,_ his mind continued to mock him, _you always hurt her. You always hurt her. Your fault. Coward! Failure! Weakling!_ The thoughts swirled and tumbled in his head, wracking his brain and, so intent was he in thought, that Robb did not even notice when the body of his sister suddenly took a deep, gasping breath.

Caroline's eyes flickered open.

**I am so sorry for the wait in between updates! I had originally planned to get this up two days ago or the day before, but, now that I have been at home more, I have been finding it harder and harder to switch to English. So, again, so sorry!**

**I tried to give everyone, apart from Caroline - for obvious reasons, a voice in this chapter, but I couldn't seem to get Kol in there much…**

**Thanks for sticking with me and let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	20. Blood in Life

**Thanks to chibichibi98, Kelly-Starfly, tearzofthestarz, Catherina1996, Ghanima2, miss blonde, cucumbre, emilusbaxter, babyvfan, Trich, xx-MissM-xx, Starry-eyed, Lazerlicious, OKBooey31, EternalFlame0410, Marina, musicjunkie04, Lord of Sin, Kat7CA, BiancaR, LorenaLaufey, Luv22, Kiiimberly, epic sweetness712, PsychVamp, BlueJean452, InuGnome17, TVDGirlLove, meagainpauline, Clara, Lily94, deceptivedecadence, Sci-fi Christian, Element Siren, **_**Guest,**_** KlausNCaroline, Missy, assasinlenna, and angel1725.**

**I decided to put this chapter earlier out earlier than usual to thank all of guys who have subscribed, 400+ now :)**

**Disclaimer: TVD is still not mine… darn…**

Chapter 19

Blood in Life

_London, England 1551_

Caroline drifted in her black world. She was bodiless, she felt nothing. There was just black. There was no pain, horror or destruction, nor was there happiness or love.

Black. Just black.

And then the black flickered with light and there was air around her. Substance existed once again and with it came the discomforts of living, _life_. She was aware of a dull pain in her neck and the stiff position she was lying in. The light from beyond her closed eyelids seemed incessantly bright and there was noise, so much noise. She heard deep, rough breaths, louder than ever before, and she could hear the pitter-patter of the rain outside, loud like the hitting of a hammer.

And her throat, it _burned_ with thirst, deep and not to be ignored. If she should picture it as a color, there is only one that would fit: red. Even as she took a gasping breath, the burn would not go away.

Her eyes flickered open.

With that simple action, it all came back to her.

_"You shall know my pain, __boy__." The deep, gravelly voice said from behind her. The hands at her neck moved lightening fast. Crack!_

She died. She died. Oh Lord, she had _died_… Then why was she awake?

Gasping and breathing deeply, confused and utterly terrified, Caroline sat up in a start, ignoring the pain and burn of the world. The light was too bright and the noise… so much noise. Her hands went to the roots of her hair, pulling the blonde locks as she shook her head vigorously.

_What is going on? What is going on?_ She asked herself, repeatedly in her head.

_Why am I awake? _

_Why am I alive?_

* * *

Robb felt his heart stop when Caroline sat from her lying position, her breathing gasping and labored. It took him a moment to process what had happened because all he could think was that Caroline, his sister, his dead sister, his now _undead_ sister, was awake.

His heart went from stuttering in shock to leaping in joy. She was awake! Robb felt a joyous smile come to his wearied features.

The next thing he saw, however, made that smile come crashing down.

Caroline had her hands in her hair and her eyes were wild, unseeing, she could not seem to catch her breath. She was panicking, barely teetering at the edge of completely losing her sanity.

_Your fault. All your fault._ The traitorous voice came back, whispering dark things in Robb's mind. _No, _Robb thought, _no_. He had to do something, he decided, he had to help. Practically vaulting from his position in the chair, he stood by the bedside, his hands grasping Caroline's shoulders. She did not respond at all, only kept rocking herself back and forth, pained gasps being pulled from her mouth. Somehow Robb knew that her pain was not, in fact, physical, but that it was pain of the mind.

"Caroline." He said, his voice stronger than it had been in the last ten hours. "Caroline. You must calm yourself, you _need_ to be coherent so I can explain." Still no response. Robb would not give up, however, and he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Caroline Forbes, you will calm yourself!" He hated having to demand something of her, especially as roughly as he had, but she would snap out of it otherwise. And, to be perfectly frank, he wanted her become coherent sooner rather than later, the state she was in scared him more than he would admit.

Slowly, recognition entered her foggy eyes.

"Robb?" She questioned, her voice echoing his relief.

"Yes, it's me, little sister." He replied, letting go of her chin and smiling at her gently, trying not to scare her back to her previous state. He kept his hand firmly on her shoulder, anchoring her to reality.

"W-What is happening? Why am I alive? _How_ am I alive? I died, I am sure of it… Mikael, he killed me, so how am I here? Or… are you dead too? No, he can't have killed you! You can't be dead too! And Klaus, what happened to Klaus?" Her questions came in blur of confusion, her voice once again bordering hysteria.

"Sh… sh…" Robb was quick to still her, trying as best he could to keep her calm and collected. "It's all alright. I am not dead. We are all just fine, Care." This made her stop in her motions for a second, considering. Robb kept careful watch over her, noticing her eyes become less frenzied as she tried to pull herself together.

"What happened, Robb?" She asked, her eyes sincere as she clasped her hands around his arm in desperation.

"You did _die_, that much you were right about." Robb began, keeping his voice as level and soothing as he could. "But, before your death, it seems that Lord Elijah took to taking extra measures in keeping you safe. Quite simply, he ordered one of his most trusted servants to give you his blood, in secret, of course."

"Anna." Caroline whispered and the elder Forbes nodded.

"Indeed." Slowly, realization built up in Caroline's eyes.

"So, I am to be a vampire?" She asked, her voice surprisingly steady, monotone almost. Robb stared at her for a moment, wondering if he should be the one to tell her of her current predicament, wondering if she could take the truth.

"_Please, just trust me. I am a woman now, I can care for myself." Caroline had pleaded, gripping one of his hands tightly, trying to get her point across to her stubborn kin._

"_Very well." Robb had replied._

Robb connected his gaze to Caroline's. He had said he would trust her. He had given his word.

"Yes. You will be a vampire."

* * *

At Robb's words, Caroline felt her little world, her human world, shatter around her. She was going to be a vampire. A _vampire_. The one thing she wanted to avoid. Her eyes filled with unwanted tears. She felt Robb's gaze on her and she knew he was waiting for her to break. But she wouldn't, she would not be so weak. So, forcing the tears away, she met his gaze and smiled at him. It was a tiny thing, her smile, but she saw how it cheered her obviously worn brother.

"Well, then, it's time for the world to make space for a new Caroline." She whispered to him and Robb let out a startled laugh and before she knew it, he had her in a tight embrace. Caroline froze for the slightest moment, but then relaxed, and held on just as tight, the only sign betraying her fear.

"I am so very happy you are awake, Care." Her brother told her, his voice thick. "You have no idea what it was, to see you…" Caroline squeezed him a little tighter, wishing she could take away his bad memories and his hurt.

As she squeezed, however, a tantalizing scent found its way to her. It was spicy and sweet, all wrapped into one. It smelled like nothing she had ever experienced. To put it quite simply, it smelled _delicious._ Caroline felt the burn in her throat return in tenfold as she focused on the scent. Then she heard it. The _thump-thump_ of a beating heart distributing precious blood around the body. The sound was so very tempting and Caroline closed her eyes, listening to it until the sound filled her mind.

She needed it. The blood. It called to her.

Opening her eyes again, she felt for the dagger Robb kept on his belt. Finding it, she wrapped her hand around the handle and was ready pull it out of its sheath and get that blood, that wonderful blood, in the open.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Lord Elijah stood there, staring at the Forbes siblings. Immediately seeing what was happening, he blurred to Caroline and ripped her away from her brother, the dagger still firmly in her hand. He held her against the wall, and plucked the dagger from her effortlessly, handing it to the very stunned Robb. Caroline snarled at Elijah, surprising herself and the other occupants in the room. It was the look that she saw on Robb's face, a twisted mix of fear and disgust, that snapped Caroline from her bloodlust. Elijah, seeing this, dropped her back gently to stand on the ground, keeping close to her.

"Robb." She whispered. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean-" Robb looked at her in broken confusion, as if he did not recognize her and Caroline felt her own heart shatter in guilt. She had almost attacked her brother, her own kin, and she would have succeeded had it not been for the timely interruption of Lord Elijah.

"Robb, perhaps it is best you go, for now." Elijah suddenly intoned, his hand firm on Caroline's shoulder. "She does not need the temptation of blood. As you can see, the blood will make her attack anyone, even her kin." Robb kept his eyes on Caroline for a moment longer before turning to gaze at Lord Elijah, his eyes sad. He bowed to his lord.

"Yes, m'lord… I will be back when things have… stabilized." He said in dull tones. As he left Caroline felt herself reaching out to him, her hand stretching out, but Elijah kept her back.

"Now is not the time for you to reunite with your brother, Caroline." The vampire told her seriously as she looked up at him, eyes full of grief. So much was happening. "Do not be preoccupied, the time will come, when control is learned." Elijah led her back to the bed and gestured for her to sit. She did so without much resistance, knowing it would be futile in any case.

For a long while silence reigned until Caroline could take it no more and she let herself speak the questions she had been wanting to ask.

"Am I vampire now?" She asked, wondering.

"Not yet, Caroline, you have yet to drink human blood. Once you do, the transition will be complete and you will, indeed, become a vampire." Elijah replied in that composed way of his. Yet, Caroline could see something unfamiliar brewing under the surface of the lord's composure, something that would come to light soon enough.

"I am in transition then?" Elijah nodded at her query. "If…" Caroline hesitated. "If I deem not to drink the blood, what will happen?"

"Then you will return to your former state and you will die." His words came heavily, knowingly. The formerly human girl took a moment to process that statement, before looking back to Elijah and asking what she had wanted to know since she woke up.

"Where is Klaus, m'lord?" She questioned. For a moment Caroline thought the elder Mikaelson would not answer, but then Elijah opened his mouth.

"He needs some time, Caroline. I am sure he will be here soon enough." Despite the warm comfort in Lord Elijah's eyes, Caroline knew he was not being completely truthful with her. He did not know whether or not Klaus would come.

Caroline smiled sadly at Elijah before turning away and lying back down on her bed.

She suddenly wished she had never woken up.

* * *

Rebekah shut the door to Caroline's room with a resound click, frowning slightly. Elijah had informed her of the blonde girl's awakening a mere hour before and Rebekah was quick to go visit her friend. She had expected to find Nik closeby, sitting in all his over-protective glory by her bedside, but he wasn't there. In fact, he hadn't been to visit Caroline at all and that worried the Mikaelson girl.

She could see the weight of Nik's apparent abandonment on her friend. It was as if the world had come crashing down on Caroline in the last few hours and she knew she was struggling more than she was willing to let on.

Well, Rebekah decided, it was about time someone found Nik and asked what the hell was wrong with him. And, Rebekah, as little sister, found herself to be the one for the arduous task.

Rounding a corner, she almost marched right smack into a familiar chest. "Richard?" She questioned her manservant, surprised to see him up and about. The last time she had seen him he had fallen into a fitful slumber in the parlor, the exhaustion getting to him.

"M'lady." He bowed out of habit, even with Rebekah's insistence that he needed not to do so.

"Did you sleep well, Richard?" Rebekah asked once he had straightened, towering over her as usual.

"As well as was possible, m'lady. I thank you for allowing me my rest…" She smiled at him and nodded at his thanks. "I have heard my niece is awake..?" He continued, looking at her curiously. Rebekah was rather surprised at his forwardness; Richard was normally a man of few words.

"Yes, she is awake and in transition." She answered his unspoken question. "She has yet to complete the transition, however, and she is… unstable. I would advise against seeing her…" At his saddened expression, Rebekah could not help but be regretful for him. "I am sorry, Richard, I will tell you as soon as you can see her." She said, placing a hand on one of his muscled arms.

"That would be much appreciated, m'lady." Then, as if not realizing what he was doing, Richard pulled her hand from his arm and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. They both froze when they realized what had happened, Richard looking down at her with wide eyes that Rebekah knew she was mirroring. A moment of silence followed, until Richard cleared his throat and let go of her hand. He hastily bowed and took his leave of her. Rebekah watched as he walked away, confused and strangely thrilled. Shaking herself from her reverie, she went back to her determined trek.

There was a brother waiting to be yelled at, after all.

* * *

Klaus sat quietly in front of the fire, contemplating. His mind was a swirl of thoughts. From what he had heard, Caroline had woken up and Klaus had to contain himself from going to her immediately. He had only brought her harm, after all, it was best to leave her be. He wanted nothing more than her happiness and survival, and if that meant sacrificing his own, then so be it.

Suddenly, the door to his chambers opened and a very angry, very hissy blond Mikaelson sauntered in, headed straight to him.

"Go _away_, Bekah." He growled, irked by her sudden appearance.

"No, not until you leave this bloody room and go to Caroline. You very well know she is awake and she needs you, so stop your moping and _go_." Rebekah demanded, her hands at her hips.

"No." He replied, not even bothering to look towards his sister, instead focusing on the fire in front of him.

"No? What do you mean _no_?" She returned, exasperated and confused.

"Just that. Now, you had better leave before I get even more irked at your presence, _Bekah._" Klaus snarled, finally turning in his seat to look at his sister. It was quiet for a second until Rebekah crossed her arms.

"No." She said, glaring at him.

"No?" He returned her glare. She was defying him and _now_ of all times?

"Just that." She repeated his words to him with an eyebrow raised causing Klaus to snarl at her before turning away again. "I do not understand this Nik, you are never one to hide from the world and this is _Caroline _we are talking of..."

"Precisely. This _is_ Caroline and I have caused her nothing but trouble. I should back away, it is what she needs." Klaus replied, eyes burning in sudden passion.

The silence around them was broken by Rebekah's reply.

"You are an idiot." She stated, her voice implying it was fact. "An absolute fool."

"_What_ did you just call me?" Klaus growled, blurring so he stood right in front of his sister, his face a mask of anger.

"An idiot. A fool. Take your pick, it does not take away the truth of the matter." She said, looking at him evenly. "And don't even try to deny it, Nik. You say you are doing this for Caroline's needs but you have none in mind but your own. You simply cannot deal with your guilt so you are running from it, just as you have been running for the past five centuries. But, Caroline, she needs _you_ and she needs you now."

"I would be careful with what you say, sister." At Klaus' continued glare, Rebekah finally lost her hold on her temper.

"In the name of…" She hissed, seething at him. "Why, of all times, are trying to be honorable now? You were never one for honor so stop it! It doesn't bloody work for you; you're not Elijah! Now, when will you get it through your infuriatingly thick skull that Caroline needs you there with her?" She yelled, shoving Klaus hard in the chest. "She is scared and confused and the one person who can help her is _pouting_ in his blasted room! So, forgive me for calling you an idiot!" She took a deep breath to calm herself, before looking back to Nik, catching his eye. "Threaten me, dagger me, I care not. Just, please, go to Caroline… She has yet to drink blood and I fear…" She stopped suddenly, shaking her head.

Klaus looked at his sister in wonder and the tiniest bit of fear. Not that he would ever admit to being afraid of Rebekah, he was supposed to be the terrifying sibling, after all. Still, the feeling did not leave him. This was the first time Rebekah had ever spoken to him like that, and, had he not heard the truth in her words, he may have been inclined to retaliate in kind.

Instead, he placed his hand on Rebekah's shoulder and nodded at her. "Alright."

"And he sees reason." Came her surprisingly sarcastic reply. "He _does _see reason, correct?" Her voice changed from bitingly sarcastic to questioning in mere seconds, adding to Klaus' uncertain and unwanted awe.

"He does." Klaus confirmed, wondering why on earth he was referring to himself in the third person.

"Good. Now you better go, you arse." She commanded him, shooing him away with her hands.

"Bekah…" He growled, warningly.

"Just _go,_ Nik." She replied, rolling her eyes. Klaus sighed and nodded, knowing this was not the time for him to let his temper lose. There had been enough of that for one day. Just as he was about to leave, Klaus turned back and quickly pecked Rebekah's cheek and sent her his dimpled smile. "Thank you, Bekah." He stated.

"Alright, alright, yes, I know, I am a wonderful sister, now, why are you _still_ here?" Klaus chuckled once at his sister's reply, shaking his head, before finally turning and leaving his room, headed instead for Caroline's. She needed him.

Back in Klaus' room, Rebekah stood by herself. "What is with everyone _kissing_ me all of a sudden?" She muttered to herself as she exited Nik's room with a weary sigh.

It was too much bloody work being the only girl in the family.

* * *

Caroline was still lying on her bed, not moving at all, too tired to do much of anything. She was simply waiting. For what, however, no one but her knew. In the seat where Robb had been sitting when she first awoke, now sat Lord Elijah; he had become her impromptu guardian for the 'transition' as he called it. Lady Rebekah had already been in to see her, an hour or so before, and she had futilely tried to get her to chat with her.

They both didn't understand. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be a vampire. And, she didn't see the point now, of turning. He-They… They would not want her. She knew it would hurt her family, but, after almost attacking her very own brother today, Caroline was inclined to believe that they would be safer without her.

Still, it hurt that she would not be able to say goodbye.

So, Caroline closed her eyes to keep the pain at bay, and waited for her return to the blackness. She was not sure how long she lay there, her throat still burning, her eyes shut tight, eventually though, she decided she should perhaps see the estate, her very own little world, one last time.

But, when she opened her eyes it was not Elijah that sat by her side, but Klaus. She sprung up in her seat, looking at him in shock. He was here? But… why?

"Caroline." He whispered, a small smile on his face. "I am glad to see you are awake." He reached out and placed a hand to her cheek, thumbing away a tear that made its way from her eye. "Why do you cry, sweetheart?" He asked, voice sad.

"I thought you would not see me…" He looked sadly at her, guiltily, but said nothing, causing her to continue to lay her feelings bare for him. "I thought you did not want me, that you did want me by your side and that is why you have avoided me." She whispered, her insecurities shining through her words.

"Forgive me, love, for making you feel so. It was not my intention… I was selfish, I could not see past my own… emotions." Klaus struggled with his words, something she did not often see. "Please, accept my deepest apologies, my sweet Caroline." He said, eyes full of grief and guilt. She placed her hand over his, holding it closer to her cheek for a moment, before turning her face so she could kiss his palm.

"I have already forgiven you." She whispered, once again meeting his gaze. He smiled widely at her and leaned down, suddenly pressing a sound kiss to her lips. Only a few seconds later, he pulled away abruptly, a rarity in itself as it was normally Caroline who pulled away first. Still, he did so and blurred to the across the room, coming back with an unfamiliar goblet in his hand.

"In that case, I have something for you…" He held the goblet out to her. "Rebekah tells me you have yet to drink." Caroline caught the same tantalizing scent as before and she knew immediately what was in the goblet. She backed away hastily, scrambling to get as far away from the blood Klaus was offering her as possible. She tried to ignore her hunger, the thirst that continued to burn her from the inside out.

"No." She said, shaking her head. "No." Klaus froze, the goblet still held in midair. Then, as he seemed to reanimate, he placed the cup on her bedside table, his motions slow and deliberate.

"You wish not to drink?" He asked and she nodded in reply. "I suppose we can wait until you are comfortable with the idea of drinking blood then, sweetheart." Caroline simply looked at him sadly when she realized he did not quite understand what she meant.

"No, I mean, I wish not to drink at all. I do not want to become a vampire." She stated, looking away from him, not wanting to see his reaction.

"What?" He bellowed, standing from his seat, towering over her. "But, you will _die_. You have not a choice in the matter. You _must _drink." He said, looking panicked. _She wants to die?_

"I _do_ have a choice and I chose not become something I can't control. I almost attacked my brother. I won't hurt innocents. I can't." She said, looking up at him pleadingly.

"I can help you learn control!" He exclaimed.

"You can barely control yourself, Klaus. Please, you must let me do this." Caroline replied, shaking her head, eyes downcast, looking the picture of sadness.

"I could _force_ you to turn." He threatened suddenly.

"Even if though you could, why would you? I am only your mistress, what does it matter to you?" Came her sullen reply.

"Because _you_ matter to me." He said, after taking a deep breath, eyes fixed on hers.

"But, why? I do not understand. One minute you refuse to see me and, the next, you insist I turn myself immortal." Caroline rambled, exhausted and exasperated. "Perhaps you would be saddened by my death, I do not know, but you will move on, forget-"

"No, I would not be able to simply forget all of this. I love you, Caroline, don't you see?" Klaus bellowed, reaching his breaking point as the words exploded from his mouth.

A shocked silence followed. _He… He loves me? W-What?_ Klaus could see the disbelief in Caroline's eyes, and knowing he could not turn back and retake what he had said, knowing that he did not want to, he decided to repeat them. "I love you and I can't lose you." He said, sitting back down in the chair, his head falling to his hands, fingers raking nervously through his hair.

Caroline watched him in awed silence, still trying to wrap her head around the idea. _He loves me. Klaus loves me… He actually, really loves me. _Her heart leapt and for the first time since she awoke, Caroline felt utterly and completely happy. Slowly, she crawled across the bed until she sat in front of him and took his hands away from his face. She smiled at him gently.

"You love me." She stated, her tone factual.

"I do." He confirmed hopelessly as he looked at her in defeat.

"Good, because, you see, I love you as well and it would be a shame for it to go unrequited." It seemed to take a moment for him to fully grasp the meaning of her words, but when he did, the widest, most beautiful smile she had ever seen made its way to him. It was like the sun was shining on his face and the next thing she knew she was pulled into a passionate, heart-felt kiss. Caroline wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, running a hand through his soft hair, whilst his arms were locked around her waist. They stayed that way for a long while until they felt the need to come up for air.

"You love me." His eyes sparkled as he repeated her earlier words.

"I do." She quoted, smiling. His eyes took a darker light suddenly and he pulled back a bit.

"Then, why are you leaving me?" He asked, his voice more vulnerable than she had ever heard it.

"I did not think you… I do not want to hurt anyone, Klaus, and I never wanted this." She whispered, looking down at their linked hands.

"I know. I know it hurts. But, being a vampire is not all bad and I will not let you hurt anyone, I swear it. We can learn together how to control ourselves." He stroked her cheek lightly, smiling down at her. Klaus took a deep breath, preparing himself for his next words. "I want you by my side, Caroline, _please_."

Caroline looked into the eyes of the man she loved, seeing only sincerity there. Silently, she glanced at the goblet that would ensure, or wreck, her future. She could just ignore it, she knew, and die human. But, if she did that, would she really be happy? She would no longer exist and she would leave behind so many people. Her parents. The Mikaelson siblings. Laura. Uncle Richard. Robb.

Klaus.

Could she really give up a chance for something more with him?

Finally aware of her decision, Caroline reached over and took the goblet in her hand and, without another thought, drank.

* * *

_Paris, France 1551_

Mikael threw the vase across the room, watching as it shattered into a million pieces, his anger still not satisfied.

"How could this happen?" His companion hissed from across the room, her brown curls bobbing up and down in her own fury.

"I did not stand a chance to kill that idiot boy, Niklaus, with his siblings there, ready to fight at his side." He replied, his voice a growl.

"You might have, had you deemed to tell me of your plans; _I _was the one who brought you this information in the first place." Katherine replied, eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare, forgetting the fact that Mikael was a _much_ older vampire than she. Mikael, however, did not, and blurred across the room, instantly pinning her to a wall.

"Do you dare to question me? I am letting you keep your insignificant little life. You should have more respect." He pressed his hand harder to Katherine's throat. "Do you understand me, _Katerina_?" Satisfied when the brunette nodded, he let her drop unceremoniously and returned to his pacing.

"Tell me you _at least_ got the girl?" Katherine asked once she stood back up, dusting herself off.

"Yes, I managed to snap her neck, but according to my sources, the girl had vampire blood in her and has now turned. She has not left him." Mikael roared as he threw another ornament decorating the room. Once he had calmed down a bit, he turned to face his companion. "The only way to beat Niklaus is to take away his allies." He stated. "I have already planted the seed of betrayal in my eldest son. He had heard some very… _significant _points in our conversation. It will not be long before the bonds between Niklaus and his siblings are shattered… But, as for the blasted girl, I do not know."

"Please, let _me_. _I _will take care of the girl." Katherine said, her smirk wide as ever as Mikael nodded his consent. _Oh yes_, she thought, _this time I will not fail. Caroline Forbes and Klaus will never be the same again._

**Finally! I have been wanting to write Klaroline love confessions for such a long time, but my muse would not allow me to until now :D Only took me nineteen chapters… jeez, that's long. Sorry for the wait, guys!**

**By the way, Robb's lil' flashback is from chapter 14 'No More Woe', when the siblings finally reconciled ;)**

**Fair warning, not much left of this installment, next chapter, maybe one after that, might be the last before the epilogue…**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	21. Long Live

**Thank you to arabella, Starry-eyed, StefanxKlaus14, midnight shadow of darkness, Samlily41, Nikiii13, MidnightAngel30, tearzofthestarz, haldslkfa, NiinaQuileute, Clara, babyvfan, Margot1121, JanApril, xx-MissM-xx, **_**Guest, **_**Lily94, Luv22, Element Siren, EternalFlame4010, Lazerlicious, PsychVamp, LorenaLaufey, OKBooey31, Catherina1996, InuGnome17, peanut mm, Trich, BiancaR, BlueJean452, Sci-fi Christian, epic sweetness 712, SweetyK, **_**Guest**_**, meagainpauline, Kiiimberly, KahlanDarcy, and DawnWalnut for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.**

Chapter 20

Long Live

_London, England 1551_

Elijah was never one to be indecisive. He was the sibling who always knew what to do. He was the organized one, the honorable one, the one with the moral compass. He did not like being in this state of unknowing. He kept a tight control on his life. It was ironic, to be honest, Niklaus had next to no control and he, Elijah, had almost too much.

His control kept him grounded, though, kept his feet firmly planted on the floor.

Now, however, things beyond his control had happened. He found out terrible things, lies and deceit at the hands of his own brother. Things he had long suspected but never wanted to come to truth. It was not even the fact that Niklaus had killed his mother, _their_ mother; Elijah knew very well of the spontaneity and recklessness of a baby vampire…

It was the fact that his younger brother had constructed an entire web of lies about it and put the blame on his father.

Now, Elijah knew his father was no one to respect. Mikael had always commanded fear from his children, and, in turn his children and Niklaus were indeed frightened of him. He was strong man, his father, strong with a cruel streak, especially towards his younger brother. But, for said brother to go so far as to blame the death of his mother on her _husband_, and then say that very same 'murderer' was after _all_ of them?

This was something that Elijah could not respect, either.

Yet, he could not find it in himself to truly hate Niklaus, nor could he bring himself to loathe Mikael. There was too much history between them all, too many memories, both good and bad, and, much as Elijah wished it was not the truth, they were his blood. Mikael and Niklaus may not be truly related to one another, but they _were_ Elijah's family.

Elijah's tight control was breaking, cracking at the seams and he knew not what to with this information, this truth.

Should exact vengeance? Should he ignore it and pretend he had never overheard what he did? Should he leave without a word said? Should he tell Kol? Rebekah?

Immediately, Elijah shot down his last idea. He had no proof other than his word. This may have been enough to convince Kol of Niklaus' guilt; Rebekah, however, was entirely different matter. He knew that his sister loved him, as she did all of her brothers, in her own way. But, it was Niklaus whom she was closest to, whom she was undyingly devoted to.

They had always shared a special bond, Niklaus and his sister, one he himself could not place. They had the usual brother-sister relationship, to be sure, but they were also closer than any pair of siblings he knew. It was a closeness forged by a deeply traumatic childhood. No, Elijah decided, he would not be able to convince Rebekah, not in concern of her beloved 'Nik'.

So, what was he to do?

Seemingly, his subconscious mind decided to make his decision for him as he unknowingly wandered to a recognizable door, Caroline's door, where he knew Niklaus was. He stopped outside listening to what was obviously a meaningful conversation, one that should not be intruded on. As he listened, Elijah wondered what he should do, how he should confront his brother.

But then he heard it. He heard their confessions of love and Elijah felt his resolve break. He knew Caroline would not allow harm to come to Niklaus. Not now, not after all of this … And she was to turn, she would need his brother, if only for a little while. Elijah could have growled at himself in that moment. Of course, only he would consider waiting for vengeance because of a human girl, or, well, a formerly human girl.

Or maybe, Elijah thought, he himself was just not ready for this.

_No_, he decided, _I will have to leave, find out more of what happened_. Hopefully answers and time will bring him to what he had to do.

* * *

Kol sighed as he wiped the blood from his mouth, happily lapping up the red drops from his fingers. The maid was certainly _delicious_ and, had he been in his own estate, he might've drained her. Alas, he was with his siblings and, for the last month or so anyway, there was a strict ban on draining. So, much to his own chagrin, he turned the girl around and compelled her worries away. As she scurried off, Kol thought he should perhaps later go to visit one of the small towns close to the estate, the ones that bordered the main cities.

His siblings would not have power over him _there_…

He stood and stretched, wandering into his own parlor of sorts, one of the rooms in his chambers. He sat in a maroon colored sofa with a sigh, already planning his little _trip_. It wouldn't be hard to simply leave the house, after all, his family was currently busy worrying over Caroline's inevitable turning.

Kol didn't really understand their strife. Yes, the girl was becoming a vampire and yes it was all very unexpected. But, she would live, would she not? She was to be immortal! Kol did not comprehend why that made everyone so upset; they should be rejoicing, the _girl_ should be rejoicing. She would become the better species and, as the years passed, she would only get stronger.

A sudden knock at the door took Kol out of his inner-rant. For a moment, the youngest Mikaelson male considered simply ignoring it, but the knocks persisted and so he grunted his consent instead. A bare second later, Elijah walked in, looking rather… weary.

"Why, might I ask, do you seek my company, brother?" Kol relaxed in his sofa, one arm thrown over the backrest as he looked towards the elder vampire with a smirk. "You have never done so before."

"I am not here for the pleasure of your company, Kol." Elijah stated with a raised brow.

"Pity." The other remarked sarcastically.

"I only wanted to ask if you would take Robb into your service." This stopped Kol in his thoughts; this conversation was getting more odd by the second.

"Why do you ask?" He question, suspiciously.

"I will be leaving soon, for some business which I have left unattended for too long. I have no need of a manservant with me and _you_ have lost yours. It would be unfit of me to simply let Robb out of the rest of his ten-year so… what better way to complete it than with you?"

"Who is to say _I _have need of a Forbes servant?" Kol replied, his eyes sparking challengingly.

"When is the last time you have cleaned up your own messes, brother? You know you cannot resist a snack…" Elijah raised a brow again. "It seems you have more need than I. Moreover, this is the only way you will get a servant in the next couple of years; none of the other Forbes' have reached of age yet."

"Yes, I do see your point… However, I am wondering, _dear_ brother… What is this business that you speak of that is _so_ important you would abandon your family and servant?" Kol look at him in question, a smug expression upon his face.

"It is nothing of import to _you_, my business is my own."

"Very well. Very well. I will accept your terms. Unfortunately, something will have to be done about the binding spell between you and this… Robb."

"I'm afraid you will have to do without it. I do not have the time for a spell and I am not certain that it can be done, a binding to be transferred from one to another. Simply take him on as you would any other servant." Elijah stated, trying to keep his patience.

"And how can I ensure he tries not to leave before his duty is done?"

"Robb is trustworthy. He will not leave here and… his sister needs him. I daresay we can empathize with the bonds of family, can we not?" At this Kol sighed heavily before nodding as if he had a great favor to his brother. "Good. I will make my leave then." Elijah turned abruptly and began to walk away, his movements even more rigid than usual.

"'Lijah!" Kol called out from his perch on the sofa causing the older male to freeze mid-step. "I hope you find what you are looking for." Elijah turned his face to look at Kol momentarily before he nodded, accepting the words. It was as close to a goodbye as they would get, they both knew, so when the elder turned and left, the younger did not stop him.

* * *

Caroline felt her gums begin to ache as the blood ran through her throat, easing her red thirst. The ache became more severe and she felt the odd sensation of something rushing to her eyes and with a pang she realized that she was showing her vampiric features to the world. This would be her true face from now on. It would show who, _what_ she really was.

The thought flashed by in a second of doubt but, soon thereafter, she cared not. All she wanted was the blood, the beautiful, delicious blood. It was like nothing she had ever known, it was life and it was death, it was horror and it was beauty. It was _everything_. She let out a pained whimper as her fangs pierced her gums for the first time, gasping.

Too soon, oh so soon, there was no more blood left in the goblet and Caroline pulled away in a sudden rush of anger and disappointment. When a hand touched her shoulder gently, she turned around and snarled, her anger coming through in bloodlust.

The blue eyes that looked back were not shocked, nor, surprisingly, disappointed. They simply showed a knowing recognition, admiration, sadness, and the smallest bit of pride. Yes, Klaus definitely had some mixed feelings.

Caroline was immediately shocked, and she lifted her hands to her mouth, covering her fangs. Her feelings went from furious beyond reason to shame and guilt that weighed her down. From the logical corner of her mind, Caroline could see herself begin to panic, her feelings coming in confusing tidal waves and she wondered what was happening.

Caroline didn't have to breathe, not really, and yet her breath came out in short, harsh gasps and she began to tremble. She took her hands away from her mouth to find them covered in red. No, no, she didn't want to be a killer or a monster. She began to wipe them hard on the skirt of her gown, almost chafing her soft skin.

Suddenly a pair of larger, more calloused hands covered her own and lifted them away from her lap and Caroline turned back to face those blue eyes, her own wide in panic.

"Sh, love, sh, it's alright." He tried to soothe, his smooth face now only conveying sadness. He held her hands tight, trying to calm her, knowing all too well of the onslaught of emotions immortality brought.

"I-I can't get it off… I don't want to be a monster Klaus, I don't want to have blood on my hands." She said her voice shaky and cracking.

"You are not a monster, Caroline, you are simply a vampire… You have not killed, you have simply fed, and I swear to you, the person who gave that blood is still alive. You have not killed anyone." Klaus said the words he knew she needed to hear. Caroline was never in agreement with the loss of life, though death was something she would have to get used to, he knew. But, now, in her state of first turning she needed to learn to control herself and not let her emotions control _her_. Klaus knew he could tell her turn the fabled switch that so many young vampires seemed to have, simply turn it all off, all the emotion that she was feeling at that moment.

But he wouldn't. Not to Caroline. He did not want her to lose who she was.

"Your emotions are not at their normal state right now, sweetheart. Whatever you are feeling is perfectly natural." He said, keeping his gaze locked on hers, trying to keep her mind on him and off the transformations she was going through. "Now, _breathe_." Caroline nodded and did what she was asked, keeping her eyes on him while she took deep, deep breaths.

Once her breath was somewhat normal again, she nodded at Klaus with determination and he could see her eyes were less frenzied than before. She sent him a small, grateful smile before she turned away for a second to grab the discarded goblet.

Caroline held the silver goblet in her hand for a moment, looking at it as if it held the meaning of this new life of hers. She was being foolish she knew. She could simply ask Klaus. He was sat by her patiently a hand still covering one of hers. As she looked in the shined surface of the goblet she caught her reflection staring back at her.

It was her face with red eyes and fangs.

The onslaught of emotions returned with a vengeance.

"Why does this keep happening to my face?" Her voice was filled with a broken desperation. "Why doesn't it go away like yours does?" She covered her face with her hands again this time scratching it as if to tear off her vampire face. She wasn't ready for this. She was immortal but she wasn't ready. She didn't know what to do; she didn't know what to _do_.

"Caroline, love, you _must_ stop." Klaus ripped away her scratching hands from her face, looking somewhat panicked himself. "I know it's strange and confusing and you feel as if you have lost yourself, but it is not true. You need to calm yourself and will see. Breathe until the bloodlust is gone, push it back and your fangs will disappear." He said, trying to shake it into her. He lifted his hands to cup her cheeks, wiping away at the tears that escaped her bloodshot eyes. "Please, love, for me." He put his forehead to hers as he whispered to her. "Please."

It seemed as if it worked because the veins began to fade, the red in her eyes receding to turn back to that wonderful shade of blue Klaus had fallen in love with. The fangs were gone soon as well. "There she is." He whispered, smiling at her in surprising gentleness and she returned his smile with a small one of her own, before leaning forward against his chest in exhaustion.

"What if I cannot do this, Klaus? What if I become… not me?" She questioned, her voice quiet, almost contemplating. He brought his arms around her to hold her in a tight embrace. To him, it was the most amazing feeling in the world. Caroline had died, and yet here she sat in his arms, a vampire like himself and she loved him. And, though it was still hard to believe, he loved her.

"It won't happen. I will not _let _it happen." He said feverously, passionately. "I will make sure of it."

Caroline pulled back to look at him with wide eyes.

"Do you promise?" She asked, her voice almost childish, her eyes full of admiration and a dull sort of hope. Klaus looked down at her, wondering how she had made him feel more than he had in a total of five centuries. He wondered how this girl, this ridiculously beautiful girl, had come to him. Caroline. _His_ Caroline.

"I promise."

* * *

Elijah sat firm on his horse, glancing back at the estate for only the slightest moment. He would not return here, he knew. Without a word said, without a single goodbye, he turned his mare and galloped off.

* * *

It had been a long first week as a vampire, Caroline decided. A long, long week with many ups and just as many downs. She was slowly learning about herself and her new life as an immortal and Klaus had been by her side every step of the way. He had shown her what they could do, from compulsion to speed. The first time they had run together, she had been so amazed that she could finally keep up with him. She could stand by his side now, not two steps behind him.

She knew, however, that Klaus was a thousand times more powerful than she. He was an Original, after all, the strongest breed of vampire. When he had shown her how strong he was, she had been utterly stunned. He was so powerful, so old and, to her, he was without equal.

She had no idea why he wanted her. She did not let herself dwell, though, knowing it would do her no good. She needed to learn first about how to be what she was before she could go any further with such things.

One thing that came as a shock to all of them was the departure of Elijah. He was just suddenly gone and it had taken its toll. She knew it was weighing heavily on Klaus, but, he seemed to keep himself distracted by being constantly at her side and helping her. Caroline was glad she could help to some extent.

Caroline, though she missed the eldest Mikaelson more than she had thought she would, was simply glad that Robb had remained here. She had only just gotten her big brother back and she was not ready to lose him again. She hadn't seen him since her turning, however, not after another incident in which she almost attacked one of the maids.

Luckily, Klaus had stopped her, knowing she would have hated herself afterwards.

"Caroline, love, pay attention, would you?" The frustrated voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to look at Klaus with a mock glare.

"Yes, _m'lord_." She said in mocking sort of way, her hands at her hips. For the last hour or so, they had been outside on the grounds. They had been working on Caroline's speed and control again. He had been telling her ways of avoiding going too fast so she broke everything in her way but also not so slow that werewolves could catch her.

Suddenly, Klaus smirked his signature smirk and a mischievous light entered his eyes. Immediately, Caroline regretted her words when Klaus suddenly poured on the speed and Caroline turned around and began with her own running.

They were abruptly in a game of cat and mouse; one that Caroline was sure to lose. She deviated from the course she have been taking to head to a place she was familiar with; the lake. She ran through the trees the wind whipping against as she went faster through it than humanly possible.

Good thing she wasn't human anymore.

She knew Klaus was not using his full power; otherwise he would have long caught her. _A game then, _she thought with a thrill of anticipation, _not a 'training exercise'._ Klaus had gotten it into his head to teach the baby vampire some useful skills such as being able to protect herself and implemented 'training exercises'. Caroline was extremely grateful for this, after all, she no longer wanted to be the weak one anymore. She was as much a fighter as any man or vampire.

She leapt over a thick branch that littered the forest floor, the strength behind the jump making her almost crash ungracefully into a tree. She hoped Klaus wasn't close enough to see _that_. She continued her sprint, bounding over and leaping under things, trying as best she could not to get her dress caught. Sometimes being a girl was just hard.

When she heard a twig snap several hundred feet behind her, she knew she had to hurry some more. She let herself become a blur, using her newborn energy to her advantage.

Of course, that would never be enough against an Original, especially the Lord Niklaus.

Just as she could the shimmering waters of the lake and a happy smile made its way to her face, she heard his footsteps behind her. She turned her head around, laughing when she saw his dimpled smile. He looked so young… and not nefarious at all. Who would assume that Niklaus Mikaelson had a childish streak? If only his enemies could see _this_…

She kept her running up even though she knew it was hopeless. She had just broken through the trees bordering the lake when she felt a pair of hands at her waist. She let out an ungracious '_whoop_' as was pushed against one of the tall trees, her hair flying messily into her face.

"I have you now." Klaus said huskily, annoyingly not sounding at all out-of-breath where Caroline was nearly gasping. The curtain of hair moved from her eyes when Klaus brushed it away with one hand to reveal him staring at her with dark eyes slightly tinged with blood, fangs poking from his upper lip. Caroline raised her hand to gently touch one of the dangerous fangs with her thumb, looking at them wondrously as they faded along with the rest of his vampiric features.

She was like him now. She would always be like him. Yes, Caroline was going have a tough time at getting used to this state of being, and yes, it had been a difficult week, but she did not regret her decision and she knew she never would.

So when Klaus' hand trailed slowly from her soft cheek down her chest and to her waist, pulling her closer until they were chest-to-chest, heart-to-heart, _Caroline_ was the one to initiate the kiss.

* * *

Rebekah smiled as Richard entered her chambers, immediately beginning in his usual greeting of her, his formality never left behind. When he began in the bow, the blonde vampire zipped across to him and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"How many times must I tell you, Richard?" She smiled at his somewhat shocked look. "You need no longer treat me as such." Rebekah needed her friend right now, not her servant. It had been a long week for them; a long month to be perfectly honest and she wanted Richard's company for just that, his company.

Elijah was gone, Klaus was constantly with Caroline and lord only knows what Kol was up to, but as usual, _Richard_ stayed close to her. So Rebekah did something neither party expected and forced her manservant into a tight embrace, laying her head firmly upon his chest.

Richard froze as her arms went around his torso, completely shocked, but Rebekah held on for all she was worth. She needed comfort and companionship and she would be damned if she could not finally make him see. He had spent twelve years serving her every whim and it was time she showed what it meant to her. Rebekah was never good with words; she was too much like her brothers in that sense, so she conveyed her meaning in the only language she knew; with actions.

It was as if Richard could read her thoughts because his own arms soon wrapped around her and Rebekah found herself in a warm embrace. It had been so long since she had been embraced like that, like she was something special. She was vaguely aware or Richard's hand rubbing soothingly up and down her back.

Rebekah, though she would never admit it out loud, could have stayed there forever but she needed to let her companion know why she had called for him in the first place. With a surprising amount of reluctance, she pulled from his embrace and put herself at an appropriate distance.

Richard was looking at her with an odd sort of confusion but he knew her well enough that she would not tell him her reasons for embracing him and so he simply accepted it with a smile. His smiles were always so beautiful, Rebekah thought. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, the youngest Mikaelson cleared her throat in a somewhat awkward manner before proceeding to tell her manservant of what was planned for his family.

* * *

"I have a surprise for you, sweetheart." Klaus said as he pulled Caroline along to the estate. "You have been doing shockingly well and I think you will be able to handle this."

Finally reaching the back of the estate, he watched Caroline's face radiate utter happiness as she saw what, or rather who, was waiting there for her. She had not been allowed near her family for a week now and he knew she missed being in their presence. Robb and her uncle stood looking at her in expectance, both with smiles on their faces.

Before Caroline ran off like he expected her to, she glanced up at him as if to ask if she was really ready to greet her family.

"It will be fine Caroline, you have fed recently and you know they are your family. I believe you can control yourself well enough for this, even if only for a little while." Klaus whispered, squeezing one of her hands reassuringly. Caroline stared at him for a few more moments before nodding, determined.

Not another second later she had thrown herself into the arms of her brother and uncle, gathering them into an almost painful embrace, smiling brightly. Klaus heard her whisper how much she missed them and how sorry she was for attacking her brother and he knew she would all right.

This was Caroline, after all.

* * *

When Caroline could finally pull herself away from Robb and Uncle Richard, her confidence and control slipping but her happiness almost unbearable, she turned back to Klaus, her love, her lord. She approached him as her family made their way back into the estate, satisfied with her wellbeing and happy to see her relatively back to norma;.

When she stood right in front of the infamous Lord Klaus, she examined him for a short moment. She noted how blue his eyes looked impossibly blue on a sunny day such as this, how he always kept the top buttons of his doublet undone, how he smiled at her in that special way she was sure no one else ever saw. He was Klaus, her Klaus in everything that he was.

She then moved forward and took one of his hands, kissing his knuckles gently, almost reverently, as he looked down at her in a frustrated curiosity. She did tend to boggle his mind with her mood swings at times, she supposed.

"Thank you." She said, meeting his gaze. His forehead fell to hers as he continued to gaze at her and he said the words they had said only once before.

"I love you." He stated, saying it like it was the most natural thing in their entire world.

Caroline smiled more brightly than she ever had. "As I love you." She whispered.

_Being a vampire is not a bad thing,_ she finally decided, _especially when you can feel like this._

**FIN**

**Soooo, that was the very **_**last**_** chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed it and it took me forever to write. I am still not 100% sure about this but hopefully it's ok... I will uploading the **_**epilogue**_** in the next few days but… you know, if you like happy endings and you don't want to move on to modern-day Mystic Falls than you may wanna end here… So, yeah:) Sorry if the whole Rebekah thing was a tad OOC, I like to believe that Bekah from the early days was a little less broken.**

**Don't worry if there are things left open in this chapter, all will be answered in the epilogue.**

**As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think ;)**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


	22. Epilogue

**Now, before I go onto my usual thanking of reviewers, as this is the last thing I will put up on this story, I just want to say thank all of you subscribers and readers who have read through my entire story. You guys are amazing and I can't thank you enough for your continued support, I wouldn't have gotten this far without you. Also, I'd like to give a special shout out to all of you who have stuck with me since the beginning; you know who you are :)**

**Now, thank you to Reader, **_**Guest, **_**Draco-Harry-Lover-1, BlondieBHart94, Amka2, MidnightAngel30, **_**Guest**_**, shadowfaxangel, jau0062, OKBooey31, babyvfan, WhySoCuriousGeorge, xx-MissM-xx, meg8769, **_**Guest,**_** KlarolineFullStop, Lazerlicious, Sci-fi Christian, InuGnome17, ematot, OriginalFreak, **_**Guest, Guest,**_** assassinlenna, Luv22, Clara, meagainpauline, angelvboo, Kiiimberly, hurtangel26, KahlanDarcy, StefanxKlaus14, LorenaLaufey, coffee14, lilylulurose, Garota, Catherina1996, Ghanima2, Lily94, HUGE FAN, GOOP, epic sweetness712, and DawnWalnut for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: As I have confirmed for the last twenty chapters, I do not own TVD :)**

Epilogue

_Dover, England 1560_

Caroline awoke with a stretch, her eyes fluttering as she shook off her drowsiness. She tried to stand and prepare herself for the day but an arm across her waist held her down on the mattress, trapping her there. Rolling over to her side, she looked at Klaus, finding him staring back at her.

"Good morning." She whispered smiling at him, folding her arms beneath her head. Klaus didn't say anything, just kept staring at her for another moment, before groaning and burying his face into the pillow, closing his eyes. He pulled her closer to him and sighed in a happy way; ready to fall back asleep when she was at his side.

Caroline giggled at Klaus' antics. He often did this when Caroline tried to wake up and start her day and Klaus was not ready to, he simply trapped her with his superior strength. She would, most times, comply and lay with him for a while longer, but today was _her_ day, and she had to get up.

"Klaus." She said, poking him in the ribcage, the only thing she could do with her limited movement. "I must get up, you know what day it is." She said with an exasperated sigh, though the happy smile was still on her face. Though it did annoy her at times, and she would never admit it out loud, part of her liked Klaus' possessiveness. It just reaffirmed that she was his and he was hers.

"No." Klaus commanded, his voice deep and rough with sleep.

"No?" Caroline questioned with a playful roll of her eyes, Klaus' response was simply to pull her impossibly tighter to him. "My, my, _m'lord_, you are quite the selfish one, are you not?" She teased, placing a sweet kiss to where she was crushed against his chest, right above his heart.

"True." Klaus said, voice still gruff with sleep. "Which is why, you, darling must stay here and go back to sleep… for _me_."

"I must get up; there things to be done, preparations to be made…" Despite Caroline's protestations, she felt herself slowly snuggling deep into Klaus' embrace.

"You are lady of this estate, Caroline, there is not need of you to involve yourself in these matters, that is what the staff is for." Klaus replied smartly, looking at her with blue eyes sparkling in mirth. Much as she was loath to admit it, he did have a point.

They were no longer in the London estate, having left a few months after Mikael's attack for fear of another. In fact, now that the father of the Mikealson clan had found out that particular estate's location, his children had seen fit to sell it. They could never return to it now that it had been compromised for fear of his wrath. After a lord with a big pocket bought the estate for a pretty penny, the three siblings that had been staying there had each gone their separate ways, going to their own properties around the country. Kol and his then-manservant, Robb, had gone south, Rebekah and Richard, the latter of who had chosen to remain a loyal servant to the only female Original, had gone to her manor in not too far from the London estate.

And Caroline had followed Klaus to his property in Dover. It had been hard to leave the estate that had become her home. There had been so many memories there, good and bad, and it almost carried more weight than her childhood home. It had been the place where her life really began and, well, ended, so to leave it? It had been more difficult than she thought it would be, and the fact that she was to be separated from both her brother and uncle just added salt to the wound.

Of course, Caroline understood now why it had to be done. A man does not chase after his children for more than five centuries and then just _stop._ They were all in danger and splitting up was the obvious solution.

For the past nine years Caroline had been living quite happily with Klaus. She was, indeed, the lady of this estate. It was quite odd, to be frank. She had been so used to call others lord or lady that when she was on the receiving end it was hard to accept it. She had not aged a day in these years, and nor would she ever again, she knew.

Caroline was interrupted from her candid thoughts by a kiss to her shoulder, Klaus seeming to wake up more as she had been thinking. She smiled at him in return, rolling over so she could sit up. This time Klaus let her out of her arms and her smile brightened somewhat.

"Do I now have your permission to get prepared?" She questioned with the raise of a brow.

"When have you ever needed my permission for anything, love?" He returned, pushing himself into a sitting position, before smirking and cutting her reply with a sound kiss to her lips. Immediately Caroline felt herself melt, though she cursed herself, and Klaus, for him knowing all her weaknesses. "Happy birthday, darling." He stated and suddenly there was something placed in her hand. Caroline beamed and looked down at the object in her hand curiously.

It was a small wooden box, beautifully crafted and inlaid with gold.

"Open it." Klaus encouraged with his trademark smirk. Caroline did so and found a rolled up bit of parchment and something small and glimmering. Ignoring the parchment, she reached for the shining thing. It was a ring; similar to the lapis lazuli one she already wore. The band was delicate and twisted artfully, and there were three precious stones set upon it.

Caroline looked at Klaus with a bewildered excitement, her eyes shining with happiness and hope.

"W-What is this?" She questioned, stumbling over her words, watching as Klaus straightened himself in front of her, taking a delicate hand in hers.

"Well, sweetheart, I had thought it to be clear…" Seeing her continued bewildered look, he chuckled fondly. "Caroline Forbes, would you do me the honor of truly becoming Lady Mikaelson?" He asked, in his roundabout way. "I know it is not what you dreamt of when you were younger. We will never grow old together, nor will we have children… But, the world is at our feet, ours to travel and explore… and, I want you at my side, love-"

Klaus was interrupted mid-speech by Caroline's sudden tackle of him and he abruptly had his arms full of bubbly blonde vampire. He met her halfway, pressing his lips to hers, the supposed-to-be chaste kiss turning swiftly more impassioned. His hands ran down her shoulders, marveling at the soft skin, to her waist, gripping her tightly to him, his other hand found its way to her thigh whilst her fingers winded in his hair.

"It took you long enough." Caroline gasped, pulling away from his mouth for a moment to look at him with that look that was both a mixture of disapproval and love that was so utterly _Caroline._ Klaus smirked against her neck as he pressed a feather-light kiss to her collarbone causing the expected shiver of pleasure to run through the other vampire.

"I take it that is a yes?" Caroline pulled his head up with almost excessive force, rolling her eyes in exasperation as he continued to smirk at her.

"Oh, be silent and kiss me, you big fool." She demanded.

Klaus, of course, could not refuse the birthday girl and complied with a smug grin.

* * *

After some… _unexpected_ activities, Caroline had finally managed to leave her bed and look at the scroll that had been trapped in the box with the ring she now wore proudly. It was a map leading her to her 'other present'. Even after their years together, Klaus still loved to play his little games. Apparently, she was 'expected' to be at the location circled out on the map at noon. Caroline shook her head, before looking out the window, noticing immediately that the day was already nearing noon.

"Caroline!" Came a feminine voice from behind her and she immediately turned with a smile to face her friend. Anna had been one of the few servants to travel with them to the new estate and it was something that had lightened Caroline's time here. "It is very nearly noon, you must be going, miss. Lord Niklaus had already gone ahead."

"I'm headed there right now. Are you to come with me?" She asked.

"No, I'm afraid. This surprise is for you." The brunette commented, her sweet disposition never failing her, holding out Caroline's cloak to her.

"Very well, then." She wrapped the warm fabric around her shoulders. "Thank you. I will see you later, I have so much to tell you." She embraced her friend quickly and headed out.

* * *

"Woah, girl." Caroline pulled back on Myra's reins, slowing down from her canter as the house came into view. It looked almost eerily familiar, so very similar to the London estate, only on a much smaller scale. Immediately, a pair of grooms ran up to help her from her horse. As soon as Myra was pulled from her, Caroline went to the front door and stood before it for a moment, wondering why she was here.

Suddenly the door opened and she was pulled into a tight embrace. A very familiar embrace and with a happy laugh she wrapped her arms around her one and only brother. She held on for a long minute, before pulling back and examining Robb, whom she hadn't seen since his ten-year had ended four years ago. He had just turned thirty but was as handsome as ever, brown curls still in a messy mop on top of his head as he smiled widely at her.

"Happy birthday, Care. Still as young as ever, I see." He announced holding her by the shoulders in front of him.

"Look at you, Robb! I feel as if I am speaking with Father…" Caroline teased in return, her smirk eerily similar to Lord Klaus'. It felt good that she was finally able to mention her father without pain striking her heart; ever since his death a few years ago, it had been hard to think of him.

"What is this I hear you talking of your father?" The blonde vampire's smirk fell off her face into a look of astonishment as she looked behind Robb to find Lucile Forbes staring back at her with her own blue eyes.

"Mother!" She exclaimed running into the older woman's open arms. Caroline felt the happiness rising in her chest; she had not seen her mother since before the death of her father.

"My darling girl, still so beautiful." She replied with a smile pulling back to examine her daughter. "Robb tells me you have been doing well, according to your letters, that is."

"Yes, Mother, everything is _perfect_." The younger Forbes woman grinned sweetly, her mind in a haze of joy.

"It seems so." Lucile said, with a pointed look to Caroline's ring, causing her daughter's cheeks to warm slightly.

"What are you doing here? How-?" She questioned, subtly moving the topic away from herself.

"The Lord Niklaus can be most generous." Mother simply stated, with sparkling eyes. _Klaus_. Caroline shook her head. _Always with the surprises…_ Not that she minded, of course. She did not have much time to ponder it, however, when Lucile began pulling her through the foyer into what looked to be the parlor. It was again similarly styled to the London estate, and Caroline was shocked to see even more familiar faces.

"Laura." She gaped; her sister was now physically older than herself, being eighteen years of age. It was odd, to say the least, to see that cute little girl become such a beauty. It had been so many years… Laura looked at her cautiously for a moment, and her elder sister realized this must be odd for her as well, after all, the last time she had seen Caroline she had looked exactly the same.

An encouraging look from their brother was all it took for Laura to come rushing to her.

"I never thought I would see the day where I would have to compete against your beauty, Laura-bear." Caroline teased, trying to lighten the emotional mood as her younger sister linked an arm with her.

"I am not a child anymore, sister." Laura replied, a small smile on her elfen-like face. "That nickname is a bit too childish, is it not?"

"Never." Caroline chuckled, before she turned away to greet the others.

"Uncle Richard." She smiled, making way for him. Caroline almost felt like crying in joy upon seeing his kind, brown eyes and she soon found herself wrapped in yet another embrace. Richard was still unmarried and still served Lady Rebekah, who was currently standing beside him. She knew not of what happened with his love of her, but, it seemed to Caroline that her uncle was happy, and that was good enough for her.

"Sunshine." He replied in that quiet voice of his. Caroline smiled once more at him, before turning and curtsying to Lady Rebekah.

"M'lady." She said, practicing the move she now only did in mockery of a certain vampire. As soon as she stood, Rebekah looked at her with a calculating look, before she gripped one of Caroline's hands in between her perfect fingers.

"It looks as if you will not be calling me that for much longer." She pointed out, with a smug half-smile directed at her future sister-in-law. Caroline simply nodded, still used to Rebekah's somewhat abrupt behavior.

* * *

The afternoon went splendidly and Caroline soon found out that this particular estate was one of Lady Rebekah's and that she, and indeed Richard, would be moving back here once more, already tired of London. Caroline had no idea the Mikealsons had properties that practically bordered each other until it was explained to her that it used to be one piece of land. Their family had owned it for many generations until they decided to do something with it near a century ago. However, due to disagreements and such, the land had been split amongst the siblings.

Rebekah explained to her that is was very rare for more than one sibling to be in this area at a time. Finn had not been alive, or awake should she say, for it and Kol cared not for the area. Elijah, no one had heard from in a long while. Still, Caroline was fascinated by these little tidbits of information Lady Rebekah provided to her. Though she and Klaus were close as partners could be, he still refused to speak of his past unless pushed.

Speaking of Klaus, he seemed to be the only one missing from this gathering. She had been here for more than an hour now. Her mother had told of how her and her sister were moving away from the city, as well. Apparently there were too many reminders of her father there. They now lived in close proximity to Robb, whom had found a home in the rural areas around London. She had also heard tell of Robb's wife, Elizabeth, who, due to her very pregnant state, had stayed at their home.

Yet, Klaus had yet to show his face. Apparently, he had been there before she arrived, to greet his sister and he had abruptly left when Caroline herself arrived. Caroline felt herself get angry about it; why did he not want to be seen with her? A few years ago, she might've given Klaus a good scolding session, but now she knew better than to blow off her top over things that could be a misunderstanding. She would simply have to be patient and find out what his excuse was.

* * *

As the evening came to a close, Caroline knew it would be time for her to return to her home, the sun already setting in the sky. Her family would stay here a night, Uncle Richard had arranged it with the Lady Rebekah, and would return to their homes at sunrise and so Caroline gave them many heartfelt goodbyes with the promise to write and visit.

It was only an hour later that Caroline had managed to saddle up Myra and take her leave, the happiness and sadness still in her heart.

Caroline walked with a renewed purpose into her shared chambers, her heart intent on ripping him a new one. All her logic had gone out of the window when she had found out from the servants that he had only returned a few minutes before she. Did he think that because they were now betrothed that he could simply go missing for a day?

"I assume you liked the first part of your surprise, love?" Klaus asked upon seeing her enter as he untied the top of his doublet, pulling off his over jacket.

"I did in fact, I loved it but, of course, _you_ were not there to see it now were you? And- hold on a moment, did you say _first part_?" Klaus chuckled at her, before moving to stand in front of her and dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"I am glad you liked your surprise, sweetheart, I know how much you wished to see your family. I apologize for not being there with you, I had thought you would prefer to have some time alone with your kin." Klaus stated, as if he held all the logic in the world. It infuriated Caroline and she glared at him.

"You had better have another reason for disappearing, Niklaus." She rose an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now, what is this about another surprise, you mentioned?" Klaus' smirk turned into a full smile, dimples and all and he handed her another piece of parchment. Caroline looked at him questioningly before unrolling it and quickly reading.

"It's a deed… to a house in Paris…" Caroline looked up at her former-lord slack-jawed. "Is this for us?"

"I went to finalize it today after you said yes, I thought it might be a good place to start travelling the world…"

"Would…" Caroline creased her brows for a second, thinking. "Would we have to leave right away, Klaus? I do not know if I am ready to leave the country."

"Of course not, love." Klaus stated, pulling the scroll from her hands with a gentle sort of look. "We are immortal, do you not remember?" He question was mocking as he looked down at her with mirth-filled blue eyes.

"I remember." Caroline looked at him, considering. "I suppose this is quite a good reason for leaving me today… though I am still considering scolding you for it."

"Please, go for it, sweetheart, nothing can break my mood today." Klaus replied nuzzling her cheek before kissing his way down to her throat. Caroline let out an unbidden sound of pleasure before she gently gripped the side of his face and pulled him back up.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For everything… for today." She placed a sweet kiss to his lips before pulling back once more. "I am wondering though, why did you bring my family in on _this_ birthday. Yester-year you stated it was too dangerous, that Mikael and Katerina were still out there…"

"And they still are." Klaus said, suddenly serious. "But, this year is different, Caroline… This is the year you would have completed your ten-year had you still been human." She stopped in her place… Klaus was right of course; it had been ten years already, how could she forget? If she had never fallen in love with her lord she would have been headed home right this moment and a new Forbes would have taken her place, had one been available, naturally.

"And when one completes their ten-year, they return to the family…" Caroline said realizing.

"Well, I was not going to let that happen so I brought your family to you… and, I know how much you have missed them, love." Instantly, Caroline jumped on him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, hands in his hair, kissing him reverently.

"Klaus." She said in between kisses. "I love you."

"Silence, sweetheart." He stated, making his frustration known to her.

Only a few moments, however; "I love you as well."

_Happy birthday indeed,_ she thought, insides soaring. _Happy birthday Caroline._

* * *

It had been near a month since Caroline's ten-year would have ended. Plans for a wedding were well under-way and she and Klaus had decided to stay in the country at least until their union was solidified. However, her plans came to a halt when she received Robb's latest letter saying that she was now an aunt to a beautiful baby girl.

Upon hearing the wonderful news, Caroline had flat out told Klaus she was going to visit, even if it was dangerous. It seemed Klaus knew it was sometimes better to let her have her way and he conceded without too much resistance. His only insistence was, however, that Anna should go with her, as she was an older vampire than Caroline.

And so both girls currently sat in a carriage, staring at the gloomy rain outside the window. Caroline felt a strange feeling settling in her stomach, as if she was bracing for a storm - no pun intended. Yet, she could not seem to rid herself of this odd sense of foreboding and it was shaking more than she thought it would.

Anna and her had tried vainly at conversation, yet it seemed the petite vampire was also feeling the same thing and they could not get a word out. Caroline had been simply staring out the window since. The gloom of the outside certainly did not help to calm her nerves.

She could scarce believe her brother was a _father_ and she was an _aunt_. She knew Robb would be a wonderful father to his baby girl; he was made for fatherhood. But her? She only hoped she could be half as great an aunt to the baby as Richard was an uncle to her. Caroline would try her hardest, that was for sure.

A part of her, however, did not want to meet this child, it was a reminder of what she could never have… and it was a reminder that her family would eventually leave her alone in this world. Well, not alone.

She had Klaus.

So, she turned her thoughts away from that, knowing she had a while left with her family, in any case.

* * *

When the carriage pulled up to a cozy looking cottage, Caroline knew it was her mother's and sister's home. Robb had said to meet him there and then he would take her to his own home later on; this way she got to see most of her family in one visit. And Robb wanted to show off his daughter to his entire family, she knew.

"We are here, miss. I will wait for you here." Anna said as the carriage rolled to a stop.

"Don't be silly, Anna. The weather is horrible and I will not have you cramped up in box, you will come with me." Caroline said, shaking her head. She convinced herself that the only reason she wanted Anna with her was out of courtesy, not that awful feeling in her stomach. She stepped carefully into the drizzle, pulling her dress up a bit to avoid mud stains.

Caroline immediately noticed something. There was not a single flicker of light from inside of the cottage, not a candle lit.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

She found herself moving fast to the door, seeing it hanging off his hinges, deep cracks in the wood. She moved passed it, going into the unfamiliar rooms when the scent hit her. That deep, tangy scent that could make any vampire's mouth water.

_Blood_. Lots of blood.

"No…" She whispered, bursting into the next room.

Had she known what she would see there beforehand, she would never have done so. She would have run the other way.

The first thing she saw was the blood. The room was stained in red. It was all over the floor, on the walls. Then all she could see were the broken bodies that littered the filthy ground. Not realizing what she was doing, she turned the nearest body over. Cloudy, dead eyes met her own.

Her mother. _Dead._ She was dead.

Quick as lightening, she moved to the other body. Laura. Little Laura… _Dead._

Caroline let out a pained sound, her heart shattering, aching so much she wanted to tear it out. "Ah!" She cried, disbelieving. "No… N-no!" Her hands fluttered over her little sister's face, her breaths coming faster and faster. "This cannot be. This cannot be." She whispered again and again before she began shaking Laura's shoulder trying to awaken her. Through her haze of pain and grief, Caroline dully realized that there should be others in the house and she stood, barely aware of what she was doing until she ran to the next room.

More blood. So much blood. Only, Caroline was not thirty for; she barely even noticed it.

It was what lay waiting for her that caught her attention. Two more bodies. Two more goddamn bodies. One was a woman she did not know – she must have been Elizabeth, her new sister-in-law.

And there was… there was…

"Robb." Caroline whispered falling to her knees as she looked upon her brother. Her wonderful brother. Her brave, foolish brother.

Her _dead_ brother.

He was so pale, so very pale, his looking all the more dark in comparison. His lips were chapped and open in what could have been a scream… The only color was the red that was dripping from the gaping wound in his throat.

"R-Robb." Caroline whispered again, crawling closer, her hand reaching out to his. When she clasped his fingers, they were ice cold. It was that feeling, that feeling of holding his dead head that made Caroline collapse into sobs. "No!" She screamed, her agony trying to rip her apart. She did not even consider that his murderer might be close by. She did not think of anything but the fact that she sat by what used to be her brother.

She fell forward into him, her head falling to his chest as she clutched his blood-soaked doublet, shaking in desperation. The black hole that had opened when she saw her mother and sister was now a thousand times bigger.

She did not move. She would not move. She could not move. She had to stay; she had to stay with Robb. He needed her. She had to stay.

She did not even move when she heard Anna's voice calling to her desperately. She did not move when Anna tried pulling at her. She did not move when she heard a new cry, small and infantile. She did not move when Anna whispered to her that _the baby was alive. _She did not move when Anna eventually left, said baby safe in her arms, saying something of help.

She sat frozen and alone in a pit of darkness and blood.

Caroline was unsure of how long she sat there, unmoving, uncrying, but when she felt a pair of familiar hands, so blessedly familiar, pulling her away from the darkness, she found herself moving.

And then she was tucked into a pair of strong arms and she was faced with Klaus' blue eyes and she cried all over again.

* * *

Katherine curtsied, her mind wary as she faced Mikael for the first time in years.

"Is it done? Did you get them all?" Mikeal questioned, his voice conveying anticipation.

"Indeed, the Forbes' are _all_ dead, apart from those in current service to your children. It took me a while to find them, your children knew to hide them well, but I did…" _If this did not finally get rid of the girl from Klaus' life, I do not know what would…_

Katherine knew she should feel triumphant. She had finally gotten sweet revenge. Klaus took her family from her and so she tore his love apart by killing _her_ family. So, why did she feel so… odd? And why would she leave the baby alive? She had had enough time to quickly snap its neck when she heard the footsteps, but she didn't.

All Katherine had been able to think about was that night where she heard the cries of her own daughter, all those years before.

She shook herself angrily from her thoughts and walked off. She needed to celebrate, she deserved it. She had avenged her family. She had won.

Hadn't she?

* * *

Klaus held Caroline tightly to his chest, his heart heavy as he stared down at her tear-stained face. When Anna had sent word of what had happened… When she had sent word, Klaus had left right away. He went by horse for the first leg of the journey, but when his mare tired, he _ran_. He ran faster than he ever had before.

And then he reached Caroline. She must have been sitting by her by her brother for more than a day.

She was broken. She was so utterly broken. He couldn't protect her. He had failed. Again.

And Klaus knew it was not over. It would never be over. He was such a fool. Such a fool. Caroline was broken because he was selfish. He couldn't let her be in danger anymore. It had gone one far too long. He loved her, but his love was breaking her.

He needed to protect, needed to fix her. Take her pain away. She would never be able to get over this, not with the killer still out there.

_He_ needed to help her. And so he would. Even if it broke his own heart in the process.

"Love." He whispered, voice strained, tilting her chin to make her look at him.

"Why?" She asked, croaking, her eyes puffy as she leaned on him limply on him. "Why would they do this? They were innocent…" She looked away for a moment. "They're all dead… dead…. Gone. Just like Papa."

"The child survived. Your uncle is alive." Klaus replied, trying to give her some measure of reassurance, some ray of hope in her dark world. Her only response was to clutch tighter at his shirt and take a shuddering breath.

"She will grow up with no father, no mother. Orphaned." She whispered. Her eyes were dull. No more light in them.

Caroline lost her heart and, in that moment, Klaus knew what he had to do. He had to give her back her light. He had to protect her.

"Caroline, please look at me, love." Her eyes met his and he forced her to meet his gaze.

This was his last chance to turn back… it was his last chance.

Taking a deep breath, he plunged into her mind as all the while his own screamed at him.

* * *

Caroline did not know what was happening. All she saw was blue as comforting haze cocooned her in its warm embrace. She heard whispers of words. _You will be happy - you will not remember - you do not know me – you will find your way._ And then the memories flashed by and were locked away, deep in her mind.

The black hole of pain turned smaller and smaller as the memories wiped away, but even as they were all locked up, nice and tight and the comforting haze took away her grief, the hole remained, smaller and less noticeable. But it was still there.

It would always be there until she saw those blue eyes again.

For now, however, she closed her own eyes.

* * *

Pearl nodded to Lord Niklaus' request, her daughter holding tightly to her hand. Anna glanced to the sleeping blonde girl that the lord had brought with him.

Yes, she would care for the girl, just as she cared for her own daughter.

* * *

Years later, a little girl with brown curls and bright blue eyes ran into Richard's arms, calling out to her 'papa'. When Robb and the others had passed, they had taken away everything from her, including her name.

But Richard had tried his best to give her back everything she had lost. He had become a father to her, her caretaker; their neighbors became her family.

And he had given her a new name, one that held meaning to him, reminding him of another thing that had disappeared that day.

"Papa!" The little girl called out, smiling as she wrapped her tiny arm's around Richard's neck.

"There's my little Caroline." He said, kissing her cheek as what was left of the Forbes family entered their home.

**I know, I suck… But it will all be solved in the sequel! Regarding the whole ring thing, I don't know if they used a thing like that in the 1550s, they probably didn't; but I couldn't help but put it in. I'll use the time-old excuse of **_**this is fanfiction**_** and I am a major fangirl who needed to write that scene:)**

**I just want to say, I literally spent hours, days even, thinking on how I should end this installment of the story and, what I came up with, is the best solution I could find for more than a few reasons.**

**I don't want to stray to far from the canon once I reach Mystic Falls – and for that I will need Caroline without Klaus (even if she **_**is**_** a little less human)**

**The separation was going to happen at some point, but I didn't to already hate or resent Klaus with a real emotional connection, which would likely happen after a long separation and she, well, knew about it.**

**I want to develop Caroline's character on who she is without Klaus, much as it pains me to.**

**There are many more, but I won't bore you with them, I just want to assure you, I have put a lot of thought into it and I will continue to do so once I start the sequel. **

**IMPORTANT****: Anyways, as you can see Richard and Robb will no longer really part of this little universe I created, but I want to pitch an idea to you all. As you well know, the sequel is coming but, what I can do for those who liked the 1550 era of the story, is write a series of one-shots set in the nine-year period between the last chapter and the epilogue. It is something I would love to do, simply because I could delve further in what was the Richard/Rebekah relationship. Also, I can give a last hurrah to Robb and we would find out more about Caroline's other family and their reaction to become a vampire. If it happens, it will be called ****The Stories of Old****.**

**Now, because the epilogue was so traumatic and you readers are so wonderful, I have a little bit of a preview of the sequel for you. They are flashes of what will happen in the story entitled ****The Scars Not Seen****, sequel to ****The Lines That Lie Between****.**

Preview Shorts – The Scars Not Seen

_Caroline stayed close to Anna, her friend, her only friend in a world she did not know nor recognize. She needed to learn control from her, she needed to learn what life was for she herself could not remember walking this earth. She was a vampire but Caroline knew with her entire heart that she would not allow herself to become a monster. That much, she could control._

* * *

_Try as she might, Caroline could not stop trying to find her lost memories and as she looked in her black void, she realized that her heart was missing something as well. Something important, like a part of her was just gone._

_For some reason, she liked to imagine that that part had the most spectacular blue eyes._

* * *

_Who was she? Who was the woman with the curled brown hair and the cruel smile? And why did Caroline feel an unsuspecting amount of fright?_

"_W-Why did you do this to me?" The blonde girl asked, looking confused and heartbroken._

"_You were dying… I could not just let you die so I saved you, gave you new life." Caroline replied meeting the woman's blue-eyed gaze._

"_You would save me? But, you do not even know me..." The other returned._

"_You remind me of someone… someone in my dreams…"_

* * *

_Caroline dreamt of a boy. She dreamt of a sweet, gentle boy with a temper who cared for his younger sisters. She had dreamt of him for many years._

_He called himself Robb._

* * *

_The bracelet glittered around her wrist, the infinity links shining. _

_He took her by the hand, the jazz music surrounding them as they swayed this way and that. He watched her with an intensity she felt she knew, even though logic dictated she didn't. Her hair had pinned up expertly into curls, but Caroline could feel them starting to muss up with the energy of their dance and she was pretty sure she didn't care._

* * *

"_Hello… are you Sheriff Forbes?" Caroline asked the tough-looking woman who answered the door, wringing her hands together nervously._

"_Yes…" The woman replied, examining the blonde vampire with interest until a dull recognition lit in her eyes. "You must be Caroline, the Forbes family's greatest secret."_

* * *

_Caroline looked at the girl that looked so much like Katerina but, yet, was human and kind. She approached slowly, a confident smile on her face._

"_Hi. I'm Caroline, new here in Mystic Falls… I was wondering if you could help me find my way to history? I'm kind of lost…" The brunette nodded at her understandingly, brown eyes filled with sympathy._

"_Of course!" She replied. "It's nice to meet you, Caroline. I'm Elena."_

* * *

_Elena and Bonnie were originally just friends to Caroline. But, in that moment, Caroline realized they were her sisters._

_And, in that moment, Caroline realized she would not allow herself to lose another family. Never again._

* * *

"_Stefan!" Caroline cried happily as she ran forward to envelop the younger vampire in a crushing hug._

* * *

"_Ah, well how about that, it looks like Vampire Barbie just couldn't stay away." Damon smirked._

* * *

'_Who are you to me?' She asked the shadow man in her dreams. The one that gazed upon in her with eyes that were a shade of blue that she had never seen. 'Why do I know you?'_

* * *

_She recognized him now… she knew who he was… she knew him. Klaus. _

**Well, that's it for the preview; most of the flashes are set within the first few chapters of ****The Scars Not Seen****.**_******Sequel**** prologue is up - Originally I was going to put it up later on, but I did this for those who want subscribe :) Chapter 1 will take a little longer, however :( The first part of The Stories Of Old is also up****.**_

**Thanks again for reading the story and being such utterly awesome people and let me know what you think :)**

**RW**

******Edited - 18/08/12**


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